Areas of Focus: Types of Cases Handled

Question: What types of cases can be litigated in Small Claims Court in Ontario?

Answer: Small Claims Court in Ontario handles a variety of civil disputes, including breached contracts, unpaid loans, construction disputes, and personal injury claims like dog bites or slip-and-falls. This court provides an accessible venue for resolving disputes where the claimed amount does not exceed $35,000. Seeking experienced legal guidance can help ensure you meet important deadlines and procedural requirements, preparing you for the complexities of your case. For supportive legal assistance, Olson Craig Legal offers a free quarter-hour consultation to discuss your unique situation.

Understanding the Types of Cases that May Be Litigated in Small Claims Court

The law is much too large for any person to ever know in full.  Indeed, even highly experienced judges with decades of experience will be without full knowledge of the law and are therefore, usually, assigned to handle a narrow focus of cases that are within areas of law that are familiar to the judge.  Even so, judges will routinely expect representatives for the parties to perform precedent research and then provide submissions and present argument based upon the findings of that research.

Accordingly, it is common that particular judges will hear civil law cases, other judges hear family law cases, and other judges hear criminal cases, etc.  Similarly, legal practitioners will focus upon specific areas of law for the types of Small Claims Court cases that are handled.  While all cases will involve unique facts, after hundreds of years of development of the law and justice system, few cases are truly novel and various fundamental basics of the law will likely exist and apply to a specific situation.