640 Toronto – Ontario increases small claims court limit

Ontario will increase the maximum claim amount that can be filed in small claims court to $35,000 starting January 1, 2020.

Prior to Jan. 1, 2020 any claim over $25,000 must be handled in the Superior Court of Justice.

While the government claims that this change will allow more cases to be resolved at lower cost to all parties involved, a Toronto employment lawyer believes that this move, if not handled correctly, might backfire and cause an additional backlog in the courts and rob Ontarians of appropriate access to justice, especially where matters involving severance pay and wrongful dismissal are concerned.

Jon Pinkus is an employment lawyer in Toronto, and partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. He joined Global News host Kelly Cutrara to explain his concerns about Attorney General Doug Downey’s new plan for small claims court.