Saturday, August 22, 2009

Ontario Small Claims Court Raises Monetary Jurisdiction To $25,000


As of January 1, 2010, the Small Claims Court monetary jurisdiction in Ontario will be increased from $10,000 to $25,000, pursuant to O. Reg. 439/08. This will bring Ontario in line with provinces like Alberta and British Columbia.

Currently in Ontario Small Claims Court you can only sue for money or the return of personal property valued at $10,000.00 (Canadian) or less, not including interest and costs. If the amount of your claim is more than the current limit, you may still choose to use Small Claims Court because it is simpler and less expensive. However, you will have to give up any future attempt to recover the excess amount over the Small Claims Court limit, even in another court.

As per the Annual Report published by by the Court Services Division Small Claims Court remains a popular choice for Ontarians for civil litigation as 43 per cent of all civil cases commenced in 2007/2008 were Small Claims Court claims.

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