Ontario families now have access to a faster and more affordable civil justice system.

Last year, the Ontario government implemented dozens of civil court reforms that have resulted in increased access to justice, including:

• Opening the Small Claims Court to settle civil disputes of up to $25,000 (an increase from $10,000)
• Offering a streamlined procedure for civil disputes between $25,001 and $100,000 (formerly $10,001 to $50,000)
• Making it easier to eliminate frivolous cases
• Limiting costly pre-trial procedures to save time and money 
• Requiring that the cost of each case be proportional to the amount that the case is worth
• Introducing the Court Forms Assistant to make it easier to fill out Small Claims Court Forms online.

In 2010, the Superior Court of Justice dealt with 11,652 fewer civil actions, a 17 per cent decrease from 2009, and the Small Claims Court dealt with 6,337 more actions, an 11 per cent increase from 2009. With thousands more civil actions heard in Small Claims Court in 2010 than in 2009, and thousands fewer heard in the Superior Court of Justice during the same period, cases moved from the slower, more expensive system to one that is faster and more affordable. This means that more people settled their disputes faster and at less cost.

A straightforward, more efficient and affordable justice system is part of the government’s Open Ontario plan to provide accessible and consistent justice services for all Ontarians.