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The demand letter went unanswered
You gave a fair deadline, it passed, and the other side has gone quiet or said no.
Statements of Claim
Statement of Claim Lawyer in Toronto
When a demand goes unanswered, a statement of claim starts the lawsuit. We pick the right court, name the right defendant, and draft, issue and serve the claim inside the deadline.
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Your counsel
Caleesis TeleshFounder & Principal Lawyer
Shaneisha MattisForeign Trained Lawyer
Diego HerreraInternationally Trained Lawyer
Daniel OseiStudent Legal Assistant
The person reviewing your matter is the person who answers your call. Meet the team →
Paid 30-minute consultationRates set out in writing before work beginsCounsel in eight languagesSaturday by appointmentReplies within one business day
More about the firm
- Hours
- Telesh Law Firm Professional Corporation is open Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Saturday by appointment. Sunday closed. Consultations are booked in advance; walk-ins are not seen without an appointment.
- Offices
- Telesh Law Firm has two offices: the Scarborough office at 1585 Markham Road, Scarborough, ON M1B 2W1, and the Mississauga office at 2960 Drew Road, Unit 139, Mississauga, ON L4T 0A5. Call 416-639-0887 or 416-299-8088, or email tlf@teleshlawfirm.ca.
- Consultation and rates
- Telesh Law Firm offers a paid 30-minute consultation: a full review of your matter with a lawyer, so you leave knowing where you stand and what your options are. Rates for the work that follows are set out in plain language before any work begins.
- Response time
- A member of the team responds to consultation requests within one business day. For an urgent statements of claim matter, call rather than write.
- Languages
- Counsel is available in eight languages: English, Hindi, Urdu, Farsi (Persian), Punjabi, Spanish, and Tamil.
- Courts
- Telesh Law Firm appears in the Ontario Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice, and Small Claims Court in Toronto and across the Greater Toronto Area.
- Licensing
- Telesh Law Firm Professional Corporation is a member of the Law Society of Ontario. Caleesis Telesh, Founder & Principal Lawyer, is an Ontario licensed lawyer. The firm is also a member of the Canadian Bar Association, Criminal Lawyers' Association, Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association, and Durham Region Law Association.
- Clients from
- Statements of Claim clients come to Telesh Law Firm from the Greater Toronto Area, including Scarborough, Mississauga, Toronto, Brampton, Milton, Newmarket, Oshawa, Barrie, Guelph, Hamilton, and Bracebridge.
- Facts reviewed
- October 2026. Fees, hours, and availability change; call to confirm before relying on them.
In plain words
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The document that starts the lawsuit.
A statement of claim names who you are suing, sets out the facts you rely on, and says what you want: an amount of money, interest, costs, or another remedy. The court issues it, and then it has to be served on every defendant.
In the Superior Court of Justice it is Form 14A. In Small Claims Court the same job is done by a plaintiff's claim, Form 7A. Either way, the claim fixes the case you have to prove, so the parties, the amount and the facts have to be right before it is filed.
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When you need one
When it is time to file.
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The limitation date is close
Close to two years have passed since the loss, and starting the claim is the only thing that protects it.
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The amount is over $50,000
The claim is too large for Small Claims Court and has to start in the Superior Court of Justice.
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Money may disappear
The other side is selling assets, closing the business or leaving, and waiting would make a judgment harder to collect.
The deadline that matters
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Two years to start it. Six months to serve it.
The basic limitation period is two years from the day you knew, or ought to have known, about the loss and who caused it. Some claims have shorter periods, and none can start more than 15 years after the events.
The amount decides the court. Small Claims Court hears money claims of $50,000 or less, not counting interest and costs. Since July 1, 2024, a claim that size can only start in the Superior Court with that court's leave. Above $50,000 the claim goes to the Superior Court, and claims of $200,000 or less follow its simplified procedure.
Once issued, a statement of claim has to be served within six months. A Small Claims plaintiff's claim has the same six months.
Source: Limitations Act, 2002, ss. 4, 5 and 15; Courts of Justice Act, s. 23; O. Reg. 626/00, s. 1; Rules of Civil Procedure, rr. 14.08 and 76.02; Rules of the Small Claims Court, r. 8.01(2).
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What we do
From your documents to a statement of claim that is ready.
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Choose the court
We size the claim, decide between Small Claims and the Superior Court, and pick the court office the rules allow.
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Draft
We name each defendant by its exact legal name and plead the facts, the amount, and the interest claimed.
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Issue and serve
We file it with the court, then have it served on every defendant inside the six months the rules allow.
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Follow through
If they defend, we plan the next steps. If they don't, we move to note them in default and ask for judgment.
What to bring
Bring these to the consultation.
Gather what you have. A missing document is no reason to wait, least of all with a deadline running.
- 01The demand letter and any reply
- 02The agreement, invoices and proof of what you did or delivered
- 03Proof of the loss: unpaid balances, repair estimates, receipts
- 04The defendant's exact legal name and an address where they can be served
- 05A dated timeline, including the day you first learned something was wrong
- 06Anything you know about their assets, bank or employer, for collecting later
Last reviewed: October 2026This page provides general legal information, not advice for a specific matter. Legal rights and deadlines depend on the facts.
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Common questions
Answers, in plain language.
The amount decides. Small Claims hears money claims of $50,000 or less, not counting interest and costs, and since July 2024 a claim of that size can only start in the Superior Court with that court's permission. Above $50,000, you sue in the Superior Court, and claims of $200,000 or less follow its simplified procedure.
Generally two years from the day you knew, or should have known, about the loss and who caused it. That is the basic limitation period in the Limitations Act, 2002. Some claims have shorter deadlines, and none can be brought more than 15 years after the events, so check early.
The defendant has a fixed time to defend: 20 days if served in Ontario. In the Superior Court that is longer for a defendant served outside Ontario, and a notice of intent to defend adds 10 days. If no defence arrives, you can ask to have the defendant noted in default.
On a claim for a fixed sum of money, such as an unpaid invoice, the court office can sign default judgment without a hearing once the defendant is noted in default. Other claims need a motion or a hearing to set the amount. Either way, a judgment then has to be enforced to turn into money.
Usually not, but it often settles the matter for less. If the limitation date is close, we skip the letter and start the claim.
Free tool
Small Claims interest calculator
Prejudgment interest on the amount you are claiming, at the rates the Ministry of the Attorney General publishes each quarter, with the arithmetic shown.
Open the calculatorStatements of Claim by location
From the blog
Statements of Claim explained, in plain language.
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