Effective January 1, 2020, the small claims court limit in Ontario will be increased from $25,000 to $35,000.
The last increase occurred in 2010 when it was increased from $10,000 to $25,000.
The news release announced that this change would make it, "faster, easier, and more affordable to settle small claims for people and businesses to resolve their disputes in front of a judge".
As the process is faster and more efficient, parties often end up spending less money on legal counsel. Furthermore, parties have more options for representation because small claims court allows law students and paralegals to represent parties. For self-represented litigants, the process is more simple than disputes in Superior Court.
Litigants who started their claim in the Superior Court can seek to transfer their case to Small Claims Court if the claim falls within the monetary threshold.
