Financial Information Form (Form 20I) in Ontario Small Claims Court

If you are an individual who has admitted owing money in your Defence and proposed a payment plan, or an individual debtor scheduled for an examination hearing, you'll need to complete Form 20I — the Financial Information form used by Ontario Small Claims Court to assess your ability to pay.

When Form 20I Is Required

Form 20I comes up in two main situations:

Terms of Payment Hearing. When you file a Defence (Form 9A) admitting all or part of the claim and proposing payment instalments, the plaintiff has 20 days to accept or reject your proposal. If they reject it by filing a Notice of Disapproval, the court schedules a Terms of Payment Hearing. If you are an individual, the clerk serves Form 20I with the hearing notice; complete it and serve it on the plaintiff before the hearing, but do not file it with the court.

Post-Judgment Examination (Form 20H). After a judgment has been entered against you, the creditor can compel you to attend an examination hearing under oath. If you are an individual, complete Form 20I, serve it on the creditor, and provide a copy to the judge; do not file it with the court. Bring supporting documents for the information in the form.

What Form 20I Asks For

The form requires a complete financial snapshot:

Income. The form asks for net salary and monthly amounts for commissions, tips, employment insurance, pension, investment, rental and business income, child tax benefits, maintenance, income assistance, other income, and income of other adult household members.

Monthly expenses. The form lists rent or mortgage, maintenance or support payments, property taxes, utilities, phone, cable, insurance, food, child care, vehicle costs, public transportation, and an "other" category for additional regular expenses such as medical costs and loan payments.

Assets. Bank account balances, real property, vehicles, investments, RRSPs, and any other assets of value.

Monthly debts. Credit card payments, bank or finance company loan payments, and department store payments, with an "other" category.

How the Court Uses This Information

At a Terms of Payment Hearing, a referee or judge reviews your Form 20I to determine what you can realistically afford to pay. The court weighs your income against essential living expenses and sets a binding payment order — typically monthly instalments over a period that balances the creditor's right to collect with your ability to survive financially.

The court considers the financial information when setting payment terms, but the result is not guaranteed to match your proposed amount. It won't accept artificially inflated expenses designed to minimize payments. Judges see hundreds of these forms and can spot padding.

At a post-judgment examination, the creditor's representative asks questions under oath about each item on the form. They're looking for assets that can be seized (Writ of Seizure and Sale of Personal Property, Form 20C) or income that can be garnished (Notice of Garnishment, Form 20E). Lying under oath is perjury — a criminal offence.

Completing the Form Honestly

The most important rule: be accurate. Understating your income or overstating expenses to reduce payments can backfire in two ways:

1. If the creditor catches the discrepancy (through bank records, social media, or a follow-up examination), the court may order increased payments and cost sanctions.
2. An obviously dishonest financial statement undermines your credibility, which matters if the payment dispute is connected to an ongoing case.

Round numbers are fine — you don't need exact cents. But the totals should match your bank statements and pay stubs. Bring supporting documents: your last three pay stubs, recent bank statements, your most recent tax return, and any loan or mortgage statements.

What Happens If You Don't Complete Form 20I

If you do not attend a Terms of Payment Hearing, the clerk may sign default judgment for the part of the claim you admitted in your Defence. If you attend but fail to provide the required financial information, the court may still make a payment order based on the information before it.

At a post-judgment examination, failing to attend or refusing to answer questions or produce documents can lead to a contempt hearing. If the court finds you in contempt, it can issue a warrant of committal.

Payment Plans After the Hearing

Once the court sets payment terms, those terms are a binding court order. Missing payments gives the creditor the right to pursue enforcement — garnishment, seizure, or a new examination. If your financial circumstances change (job loss, medical emergency), you can bring a motion to vary the payment order, supported by an updated Form 20I.

Our Defending a Claim in Ontario Small Claims Court guide covers the full payment proposal process — from writing the proposal in your Form 9A Defence through the Terms of Payment Hearing and what comes after.

See more Ontario guides →