Getting Started in Small Claims Court:

Question: What do I need to file a Plaintiff’s Claim (Form 7A) to start a Small Claims Court case in Ontario?

Answer: PKM Legal Services can guide you through commencing a Small Claims Court matter in Ontario by preparing and reviewing your Plaintiff’s Claim (Form 7A), checking party details, amounts, and the story’s chronology so you present only what’s necessary under the Small Claims Court rules, including Rule 7, and help you avoid common issues like wrong names, counterclaims, or unexpected costs.   If you want a paralegal to help you start the case the right way and plan for likely next steps, call (519) 410-5250 to discuss your situation in Ontario, including towns across Norfolk County and nearby communities.

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Commencing Proceedings and Retaining Legal Counsel for Small Claims Court

To start a case in the Small Claims Court requires the issuing of a document known as a Plaintiff's Claim.  The Plaintiff's Claim is a form, known as Form 7A, and is available online.  The main parts of the Form 7A document are quite easy to complete as such simply involves filling in a few blanks of information.  The more challenging aspect of starting a lawsuit is knowing what parts of the story to say and what parts of the story to avoid saying, if any.  There are various rules regarding the extent of information that is required.  The rules on starting a Small Claims Court lawsuit, referred to formally as commencing a proceeding, are found in Rule 7 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court.

Note: Please contact PKM Legal Services by phone at: (519) 410-5250 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

Although people may think of Small Claims Court cases as an informal legal process, and indeed there are many Small Claims Court cases that are relatively simple enough that minimal, if any, legal training is required, there are still many concerns to consider. Concerns to carefully consider include:

• What if a counterclaim is brought against me?
• What if I lose the lawsuit?
• What if I lose and legal costs are awarded against me?
• What if the Defendant includes a 'third party'?
• What if I name someone wrong?
• What if the case is more complicated than expected?

The concerns listed above, among others, should be very carefully reviewed before bringing a lawsuit.  Diligent review of these questions and the potential pitfalls are highly important before getting started.