Form 7A: the claim that starts an Ontario Small Claims case

What Form 7A is, and the limit

Ontario's Small Claims Court handles smaller civil disputes without the cost of a full trial. Official guidance puts it plainly: "you can sue that person or business in Small Claims Court for $50,000 or less." That limit rose from $35,000 to $50,000 effective October 1, 2025.

Where to get it, and how to file

Download the current Form 7A from Ontario Court Forms. You file at the courthouse where the cause of action arose, or where a defendant lives or does business, and you can file a claim online (if eligible), in person, or by mail.

The filing fee

• •Infrequent claimant: $108
• •Frequent claimant (10 or more claims filed at the same court office in the same calendar year): $228

Service and response deadlines

Once filed, the claim must be served on the defendant within six months after the claim was issued by the court. The defendant then has 20 days after being served with the claim to respond.

Common mistakes

• ✗Filing for more than $50,000: the excess must be abandoned, or the claim moves to a higher court
• ✗Missing the six-month service window after the claim is issued
• ✗Filing as an infrequent claimant when 10 or more claims have already been filed at the same office this calendar year, which changes the fee