Small Claims Court

Small Claims Court

Small Claims Court, the common name of courts established by provincial legislation for civil matters involving small sums of money. In Québec, the upper limit of the small claims court is $7 000, but in the other provinces it is $1000, $2000 or $3000. The procedure in these courts is less formal than in higher courts and it is usually possible for individuals to conduct their cases without a lawyer. In Québec, lawyers are barred from appearing on behalf of clients. Most provinces have created a small claims or civil division of the provincial court, but PEI has established a small claims section of the General Division of the Supreme Court of PEI, just as in NB small claims are handled by a section of the Court of Queen's Bench. In NS, the Municipal Court in Halifax is responsible for claims of less than $500. In the Yukon Territory, claims of less than $500 can be dealt with by a small-debt official of the territorial court and a magistrate can deal with claims of less than $1000. In the NWT, the territorial court deals with actions that are for less than $5000.