Small Claims
Provincial Court - Civil Division
Most civil actions with a value of less than $25,000 can be handled
in the Civil Division of the
Provincial Court of Alberta. This includes most actions founded in
debt, breach of contract, landlord
and tenant as well as other actions based on enforcing rights to
judgment and money damages. We have
considerable experience in this area and our legal education in
contract and tort law allows us to advise
you about how to prepare your case. We can provide you with either
full service or help with only the parts
of the action where you need assistance. Feel free to call our office
for a free consultation. We can reached
by calling (403) 526-3001.
If you want to sue someone
From the initial preparation of the Statement of Claim, through the
mediation session and the pre-trial
conference and finally the trial, we are there to assist you every
step of the way. While many people think
that small claims means they can cut corners on the legal theories of
their case, this is simply not true.
Remember, if you sue someone and lose, the judge will probably order
costs against you for initiating
an unsuccessful legal action. We can provide as much or as little
assistance as you require. Call us for
a free initial consultation.
If you are being sued
If you have have served with documents indicating that you are being
sued you need to respond very quickly.
Any delay could compromise your legal position and cause a judgment
to be issued against you. You need
to respond in a timely manner articulating why you are going to
dispute the claim. We can assist you with
preparing a response to the civil claim and also help you defend
yourself. Many times there are various acts
and regulations that apply to your situation, but you must be aware
of them and know to prepare properly
and plead them in the dispute note. While small claims are designed
to be simpler in nature, the basic rule
of law still applies. Judges will assist you but they will not add to
or vary claims that have been filed.
Landlord/Tenant
Most legal actions under the Residential Tenancies Act (the
legislation that applies to most rentals) are handled
by Provincial Court Judges in the Civil Division. Everything from
trying to evict a tenant to getting paid for damages
can be decided here. We can assist you with preparing the proper
applications and affidavits and also help you
enforce the order once it is issued by the Judge. If you are a tenant
and feel the actions taken by your landlord are
unjust, then you will need help defending yourself. As always, we
provide an initial consultation at no charge.