Paralegal Fees for Small Claims Court in Ontario

What Paralegals Charge in Ontario Small Claims Court

Licensed paralegals in Ontario are authorized by the Law Society of Ontario to represent clients in Small Claims Court. Their fees typically fall into two tiers.

Unbundled document preparation — where a paralegal drafts your Plaintiff's Claim (Form 7A) and supporting documents but you handle filing, service, and court appearances yourself — runs between $250 and $500 as a flat fee. This makes sense when you are comfortable appearing in court but want professional help getting the paperwork right, especially naming the correct legal entity and calculating pre-judgment interest under section 128 of the Courts of Justice Act.

Full-service representation — covering everything from drafting and filing through the mandatory settlement conference and trial — typically costs between $1,000 and $3,500, depending on the complexity of the dispute and whether additional motions or enforcement steps are needed. Some paralegals charge a flat fee for the entire matter; others bill hourly at rates between $100 and $250.

Can You Recover Paralegal Costs If You Win?

Under section 29 of the Courts of Justice Act, the court can award costs of up to 15% of the amount claimed (not including disbursements like filing fees). On a $50,000 claim, that cap is $7,500 — which more than covers typical paralegal fees. On a $5,000 claim, the cap is $750, which may not cover full representation.

The 15% cap is a ceiling, not a guarantee. The judge decides how much to award based on the conduct of the parties and the outcome. Unreasonable behaviour by the losing side — like ignoring the settlement conference or making frivolous arguments — can push the award higher.

Court disbursements (filing fees, process server fees, witness allowances) are recoverable on top of the 15% costs cap.

When Self-Representation Makes More Sense

Ontario Small Claims Court is designed for self-represented litigants. The rules require plain language, the process is summary, and deputy judges are accustomed to guiding unrepresented parties through hearing procedure.

Self-filing makes sense when your claim is straightforward — an unpaid invoice with clear documentation, a contractor who took a deposit and did not do the work, or a consumer refund dispute with a paper trail. The filing fee is $108 for infrequent claimants ($228 for frequent claimants), and you avoid paralegal fees entirely.

Where it gets harder is when the other side is a corporation with a lawyer, when you need to bring a motion for substituted service, or when calculating damages involves interpreting contractual terms. Those are the situations where a paralegal earns their fee.

Our Ontario Small Claims Court filing guide is built for self-represented plaintiffs who want to handle the process themselves. It covers entity verification, Form 7A completion, service requirements, evidence preparation, and hearing procedure — the same ground a paralegal would walk you through, at a fraction of the cost.

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