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A process server came to the door
Someone handed you, or an adult at your home, a claim with a court name and a file number on it.
Statements of Defence
Statement of Defence Lawyer in Toronto: Served With a Claim?
If you were served with a statement of claim in Ontario, you generally have 20 days to deliver a defence. We confirm your deadline, answer the claim allegation by allegation, and file before you can be noted in default.
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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 defence 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 Defence 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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Your answer to the claim, in writing, on time.
A statement of defence answers a claim paragraph by paragraph. You admit what is true, deny what is not, and say which facts you do not know. Then you set out your own version and every defence you rely on, including a limitation defence if the claim came too late.
In the Superior Court of Justice it is Form 18A. In Small Claims Court it is a defence, Form 9A. Anything left unanswered can be taken as admitted, and a defence you leave out may be one you cannot raise later.
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When you need one
How the papers usually arrive.
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A former customer or contractor is suing
They say you owe money or did poor work, and you have records that tell a different story.
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Your business was served
The claim was left with a director, an officer, or the person in charge at your place of business.
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You have a claim of your own
The plaintiff owes you too, and the counterclaim belongs in the same document as your defence.
The deadline that matters
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20 days in Ontario, and the clock starts at service.
In the Superior Court of Justice, the defence is due 20 days after service if you were served in Ontario, 40 days if you were served elsewhere in Canada or in the United States, and 60 days if served anywhere else. A notice of intent to defend, delivered within that time, adds 10 days.
In Small Claims Court, the defence is due 20 days after you are served. The Small Claims rules set no longer period for service outside Ontario and have no notice of intent to defend.
Miss the date and the plaintiff can have you noted in default. You are then taken to admit the facts in the claim and cannot take any step except a motion to set the default aside. On a claim for a fixed sum, judgment can follow without a hearing. Until you are noted in default, a Superior Court defence can still be delivered.
Source: Rules of Civil Procedure, rr. 18.01, 18.02, 19.01, 19.02 and 19.04; Rules of the Small Claims Court, rr. 9.01, 11.01, 11.02 and 11.05.
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What we do
From your documents to a statement of defence that is ready.
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Fix the deadline
We confirm the court, the date and manner of service, and the exact day your defence is due.
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Protect the file
We report the claim to any insurer that may owe you a defence and preserve the records it turns on.
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Draft
We admit, deny, or plead no knowledge of each allegation, and add every defence and counterclaim you have.
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Serve and file
We serve the plaintiff and file with the court on time, or get a written extension before the date passes.
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 claim, with the date and the way you were served written on the front
- 02Every page that came with it, including any schedules or attached documents
- 03Your contracts, invoices, receipts and proof of payment
- 04Messages and emails with the plaintiff, in date order
- 05Insurance policies that might cover the claim: home, tenant, auto or business
- 06Any demand letter you received before the claim
Last reviewed: October 2026This page provides general legal information, not advice for a specific matter. Legal rights and deadlines depend on the facts.
In their words
Represented, and heard.
“Telesh Law Firm provides outstanding legal services. The team is highly knowledgeable — I would highly recommend.”
“The team here is so nice! They understood my needs and made me feel heard. I will definitely come back if I am in need of legal help again.”
Common questions
Answers, in plain language.
In the Superior Court of Justice, 20 days after service if you were served in Ontario, 40 days if served elsewhere in Canada or the United States, and 60 days if served anywhere else. A notice of intent to defend, delivered within that time, adds 10 days. In Small Claims Court, the defence is due 20 days after service.
Not until you are noted in default. In the Superior Court, you can still deliver a defence at any time before that happens. After it, you cannot take any step in the case except a motion to set the default aside, and you are taken to admit the facts in the claim. Call the day you realize the date has passed.
Often, yes. In the Superior Court, the plaintiff can agree to extend the deadline, and the consent is filed with the court. Ask before the date passes and get the answer in writing. A notice of intent to defend also buys 10 days.
Yes. A claim with no answer is treated as admitted, however weak it is. The defence is where you say what is wrong with it, and leaving an allegation unanswered can count as admitting it.
It might. Home, tenant, auto, and business liability policies can require the insurer to defend you. Report the claim to your insurer or broker straight away and send them a copy. Late notice is a common reason for a denial.
Statements of Defence by location
From the blog
Statements of Defence explained, in plain language.
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