Small Claims Court
In BC, Small Claims Court is the place people go to settle legal disputes for civil cases worth less than $25,000. All of the procedures in Small Claims Court are designed to be simple and something that ordinary people can understand.
You can have a lawyer in Small Claims Court, but most of the time, people represent themselves.
You will not need to know very many legal terms, but there are a few that will help.
A “claimant” is the person who makes the claim. The “defendant” is the person being sued. “Serving documents” means getting the paperwork to another person, according to the law. You will have the chance to learn more about this on this website.
On This Website
SmallClaimsBC.ca provides information to help you handle your own Small Claims Court case – no matter what side you are on.
On this website, you will find important information, instructional videos, and helpful checklists. You can also access the following BC Small Claims Court documents:
This website will help you learn that all cases Get Started by completing a Court Form called Notice of Claim. You will discover that there are four different Court Processes in Small Claims Court and that the process your case follows depends on where the claim was filed. And, you will also have the chance to learn what steps to take after the Court Decision.
Court Locations
In BC Small Claims Court, the process your case will follow depends on the court location where your claim is filed.
There are four different court processes:
To learn more about how your case will proceed, select one of the court location links above, or use our court location maps.
