Getting Started in Small Claims Court:

Question:How can a paralegal help me start a Small Claims Court lawsuit in Ontario using Form 7A?

Answer:To start a Small Claims Court case in Ontario, you generally file a Plaintiff’s Claim using Form 7A and follow the filing and content requirements in Rule 7 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court, O. Reg. 258/98; a paralegal at Bulat Paralegal Service can help you choose what facts to include, avoid adding unnecessary details, confirm correct naming of parties, and ensure your documents align with the rules so you are less likely to face delays or procedural issues later    for hands-on help with your Form 7A and next steps, call (705) 664-0334 to discuss your matter with Bulat Paralegal Service.

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Commencing Proceedings and Retaining Legal Counsel for Small Claims Court

To get a lawsuit started in Small Claims Court, the preparing and issuing of the document known as a Plaintiff's Claim is required.  The Plaintiff's Claim document is a specific form, numbered and referred to as Form 7A, and is accessible 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 Bulat Paralegal Service by phone at: (705) 664-0334 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 I am countersued by the Defendant?
• What if I lose the case?
• What if I lose and the Defendant seeks costs against me?
• What if the Defendant sues another person as a 'third party'?
• What if I get a name wrong?
• What if the case becomes more complicated than originally expected?

The above questions, and many more, deserve careful review before haphazardly starting a lawsuit.  Understanding and carefully reviewing the potential complications, considerations, and consequences, before starting a lawsuit is highly important.