Defend Yourself in Small Claims Cases With These 5 Methods

Are you facing a date in small claims Toronto court? If so, it can be a stressful situation. Court hearings always have unexpected twists and turns. So, the best way is to defend yourself with the correct method. You can use these methods to settle the small claims case outside the court.

Here’s what you can do.

Online contesting

You can contest the small claims court case online. The Ministry of Attorney General for Ontario courts has set up a seamless process to contest your case online. You can get access to different forms that allow you to tell your side of the story. The forms can be filled out online, followed by taking a printout and mailing it to the courthouse. If you can, you can also drop the forms and supporting documents to the courthouse where the case has been filed.

You have about 20 days to contest the claim. If you don’t contest the claim in 20 days, the judge can give a judgment.

Sue the person who has sued you

You can sue the person who has sued you. However, you have to ensure the claim can’t top $35,000. Moreover, the claim must relate to their shortcomings. For example, you hire a contractor to do a certain job. You didn’t pay them as they did a lousy job. Since you didn’t pay them, they sued you. However, you hired another contractor who had to redo the job. Now, you can sue the first contractor for the amount you paid the second contractor to get the job done.

Choose mediation

You can choose a mediator to help you and the other party agree and settle the case with the right legal advice Toronto. However, mediation has to be a mutual step, and both parties must be ready to undergo the mediation process.

Pay a small part of the amount you owe

You can accept that you owe the other party a certain amount of money. However, you pay only a tiny part of the total amount and contest the remaining amount. This way, the interest won’t be added to the initial amount.

Face-to-face negotiation

You can choose to negotiate with the other party face to face. If you come to terms with the settlement, the court can approve it and settle the case.

There are plenty of other ways to defend yourself during small claims cases. You can get in touch with us at SW Legal Service PC to understand the different ways to defend small claims cases. Moreover, we help our clients with landlord and tenant Toronto cases. Call us now to find out more about our legal services.