What the court hears, and the ceiling that matters
The Small Claims Court hears claims for money or the return of personal property valued at $35,000 or less, not counting interest and costs. Claims above the ceiling either proceed in the Superior Court of Justice under its ordinary procedure or are abandoned down to $35,000 — a choice worth documenting deliberately, because it cannot be reversed casually. The court's process is designed for self-represented parties: simplified forms, settlement conferences before trial, and cost consequences that stay proportionate.
Organize before you file: the three piles
Organize everything into three piles. First, the money trail: contracts, invoices, estimates, receipts, e-transfers, and any partial payments — the arithmetic of the claim should be reproducible from documents alone. Second, the communications: demand letters, emails, texts, and notes of phone calls with dates. Third, the timeline: when the debt or damage arose, when you demanded payment, and every response. Ontario's basic limitation period is two years from discovery for most claims, so the timeline pile is also your deadline check — position every event against it early.