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, there will be certain judges who will hear civil law cases and there will be other judges who hear family law cases and then other judges who hear criminal cases, etc.  In a similar fashion, lawyers and paralegals will develop specific areas of law as the types of Small Claims Court cases that are focused upon.  Of course, it is true that every case has a unique factual situation; however, the law and justice system, developed over hundreds of years and there will now be few cases where the legal issues are a first; and accordingly, relevant law containing the fundamentals and principles for most circumstances will exist.