Getting Started in Small Claims Court:

Question: How can Thamar Bilingual Legal Services Ontario help me commence a Small Claims Court case in Ontario and decide what to include in my Plaintiff’s Claim form (Form 7A)?

Answer: ?

Answer: Thamar Bilingual Legal Services Ontario helps Ontario clients prepare and file a Plaintiff’s Claim (Form 7A) to commence a Small Claims Court proceeding, explain what to include in the story and what to avoid at the start under the court rules (including Rule 7), and walk you through common early risks like countersuits, potential costs, misnaming parties, and third-party claims.  They also provide bilingual paralegal services in English and français, so you can get clear next steps before you submit anything, and if you want human help reviewing your draft before filing, call (647) 818-7974 for support in Ontario.

Commencing Proceedings and Retaining Legal Counsel for Small Claims Court

Starting a lawsuit in Small Claims Court requires the preparation of, and issuance of, a Plaintiff's Claim document. The Plaintiff's Claim is a form, known as Form 7A, and is available online.  The primary parts of the form are relatively easy involving simple fill in the blanks 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, or at least to avoid in the beginning.  There are many rules regarding the manner of what should be provided.  The rules of process for starting a legal case in the Small Claims Court can be found in Rule 7 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court.

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 I lose?
• What if the Defendant brings a third party claim?
• What if I get the name of someone wrong?
• What if a counterclaim is brought?
• What if the case becomes more complicated than first expected?
• What if legal costs are awarded against me?

The above questions, and many more, deserve careful review before haphazardly starting a lawsuit. Diligent review of these questions and the potential pitfalls are highly important before getting started.