Civil law suits in Canada are heard in Small Claims Court when the amount of the claim is $25,000 or less. The Small Claims Court is also known as "the people's court."
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Civil Law suits for over $25,000 are heard in the Superior Court of Justice. Yes, this includes cases for millions of dollars!
The Rules of Civil Procedure are followed regarding Civil Law suits in Ontario. The key elements are:
Generally, you have 2 years after the incident to file your Statement of Claim (start a law suit)
The defence has 20 days to respond, and they can bring third parties into the law suit, and assign blame to co-defendants
Discovery phase, including examination (questioning) of both parties and obtaining documents
Attempts to settle are made before pre-trial and before trial
Over 90% of civil lawsuits are settled before trial (the costs to the court outweigh the civil matter)
References Gonsalves, D., Olivo, L.M. (2012) Debtor-Creditor Law and Procedure. Toronto, ON: Edmond Publishing.