Traditionally, if a person wanted to sue someone in Ontario and that amount fell under $25,000, he or she would have to prepare all the necessary documents and then take the time to go to small claims court to file them.
As of last week, the court has finally entered the Internet era, as the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General announced all small claims can now be filed online.
Brendan Crawley, a spokesperson for the AG, explained that since small claims court online applications were piloted online in 2014, more than "20,000 small claims have been filed online, and over 15 per cent of those claims were filed outside regular court hours.”
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Crawley adds that the process is made secure by requiring “users to create and use a One-key ID and password, a unique electronic credential that allows users to communicate securely with online Government services.”
Why is the Ministry of Attorney General doing this now?
Crawley said that this was done to make “court services easier, faster and more accessible by delivering them online”.
“The intention has always been to expand it [the e-filing system],” adding that “filing online is really an advanced feature and it’s overdue, it should be expanded beyond small claims to all courts," says Toronto commercial and franchise litigator Ben Hanuka, of Law Works PC.
There will also be actual cost savings to clients if a lawyer or paralegal represents them, because they can now save on having to use a process server.
While Hanuka acknowledges, “It’s a good step . . . this saving of time for the consumer is good,” he also cautions that just because the filing is made easier, doesn’t mean the rest of the claim will be easy to handle.
“I think it will help them [consumers] with the logistics of filing it but it won’t do anything about helping them draft the claim and the drafting is the hard part," he says.
Before individuals begin filing, there are a few things they will need, including a ServiceOntario account, a credit card, a summary of why they are making the claim, and documents that support the claim.
What about people who are not exactly technologically savvy? Are they able to navigate the murky waters of online filing?
Crawley says the process is actually quite simple.
“The online filing wizard makes the process of completing and filing a small claim and receiving a judgment faster and more accessible by breaking it down into a series of easy-to-follow steps," he says.
The takeaway from the government’s announcement is that Canadian governments and courts are recognizing that they have to move with the times and many are now moving towards filing claims online.