Estimate the total value of your Ontario Small Claims Court claim — including pre-judgment interest, court costs, and recoverable expenses. Updated for 2026.
· Reviewed by Jonathan Kleiman, J.D.
Use this calculator to estimate the total value of your Ontario Small Claims Court claim. Pre-judgment interest is calculated under section 128 of the Courts of Justice Act using the quarterly rate published by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. The current pre-judgment interest rate (Q2 2026) is 2.5%.
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Pre-judgment interest in Ontario Small Claims Court is governed by section 128 of the Courts of Justice Act. The calculation uses simple interest — not compound interest — at the rate published quarterly by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.
Interest = Principal × Rate × Days ÷ 365
Where Principal is the amount claimed, Rate is the pre-judgment interest rate for the quarter in which the proceeding was commenced, and Days is the number of days from the date the cause of action arose to the date of the court order.
| Quarter | Pre-Judgment Rate | Post-Judgment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 (Apr – Jun) | 2.5% | 4.0% |
| Q1 2026 (Jan – Mar) | 2.5% | 4.0% |
| Q4 2025 (Oct – Dec) | 3.0% | 4.0% |
| Q3 2025 (Jul – Sep) | 3.0% | 4.0% |
| Q2 2025 (Apr – Jun) | 3.3% | 5.0% |
| Q1 2025 (Jan – Mar) | 4.0% | 5.0% |
Source: Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General
The successful party in an Ontario Small Claims Court action may recover a variety of costs in addition to the principal claim and interest. Understanding what is recoverable can help you accurately estimate the total value of your case.
Under section 29 of the Courts of Justice Act, the court may award up to 15% of the amount claimed in representation fees to the successful party. On a $50,000 claim, this could mean up to $7,500 in recoverable legal costs.
If an Offer to Settle was made at least 7 days before trial and the other party received a less favourable result, the court may award up to double costs — 30% of the amount claimed (Rules 14.07 and 19.06).
Free 30-minute consultation. Get a clear assessment of your case value and legal options.
Court fees are set by Ontario Regulation 332/16 and vary depending on whether you are classified as an infrequent claimant (fewer than 10 claims per year in the same court) or a frequent claimant (10 or more). Most individuals and small businesses are infrequent claimants.
| Fee | Infrequent | Frequent |
|---|---|---|
| Filing a claim | $108 | $228 |
| Filing a defence | $77 | $77 |
| Filing a motion | $127 | $127 |
| Requesting a trial date | $308 | $403 |
| Default judgment | $94 | $128 |
| Issuing a witness summons | $33 | $33 |
| Notice of garnishment | $144 | $144 |
| Writ of seizure and sale | $68 | $68 |
Source: Ontario.ca — Small Claims Court Fees. Fee waivers available via Form 20 for low-income applicants.
Before filing a claim, you must ensure you are within the applicable limitation period. Under the Limitations Act, 2002:
Not sure if you're within the limitation period? Jonathan offers a free 30-minute consultation to assess your case, including whether your claim is still within time. Don't wait — the limitation clock is running.
As of October 1, 2025, the Ontario Small Claims Court handles civil disputes up to $50,000, exclusive of interest and costs. This limit was increased from $35,000 by Ontario Regulation 42/25. Claims above $50,000 must be filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The $50,000 limit applies per plaintiff — in multi-party litigation, each plaintiff may claim up to $50,000 independently.
Yes. Under section 128 of the Courts of Justice Act, you are entitled to pre-judgment interest on the amount claimed. The interest rate is set quarterly by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General — the current rate (Q2 2026) is 2.5%. Interest is calculated as simple interest from the date the cause of action arose to the date of the court order. If your contract specifies a different interest rate, the contractual rate applies instead.
Yes. The successful party can recover court filing fees, service costs, and other reasonable disbursements. The court may also award up to 15% of the amount claimed in representation fees (legal costs). If an Offer to Settle was made and the other party received a less favourable result at trial, the court may award up to double costs (30%) of the amount claimed.
Under the Limitations Act, 2002, the basic limitation period is 2 years from the date you discovered (or ought to have discovered) the claim. There is also a 15-year ultimate limitation period from the date of the act or omission that caused the loss. Missing the limitation period can permanently bar your claim. Consult a lawyer promptly if you believe you may have a claim.
You are not legally required to have a lawyer in Small Claims Court, but having one significantly improves your chances. A Small Claims Court lawyer understands the procedural rules, knows how to present evidence effectively, can negotiate settlements that self-represented parties often miss, and can recover up to 15% of the claim amount in representation fees. Jonathan offers a free 30-minute consultation to assess your case.
Jonathan Kleiman helps businesses and individuals recover unpaid debts, enforce contracts, pursue unpaid invoices, and resolve Small Claims Court disputes throughout Toronto and Ontario.
Describe your dispute and Jonathan will contact you — usually the same day.
Book a free 30-minute consultation with Jonathan. Tell your story, ask your questions, leave with a clear sense of what your claim is worth and what it should cost.