Ontario Small Claims Court
Get through Small Claims Court, step by step.
Oat guides you through Ontario Small Claims Court, helping you understand what comes next, organize your documents, prepare forms, and keep your filings on track.
Oat is software, not a law firm. You review everything, and you file it yourself.
Illustrative example
What you write
What happened?
Date
April 2, 2026
What happened
Water came through the bedroom ceiling in a rainstorm. I emailed them photos the same day.
How it appears on the form
FORM 7APAGE 2
REASONS FOR CLAIM AND DETAILS
5.On April 2, 2026, water came through the bedroom ceiling in a rainstorm. I emailed them photos the same day.
Prepared by the plaintiff using Oat software. Not reviewed by a lawyer.
Gather your documents. Prepare your forms. File with confidence.
You write your claim in your own words. Oat keeps it organized and puts it on the right form.
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Gather your documents
Add your receipts, texts, contracts and photos. Oat reads them and suggests dates, amounts and names. Nothing is used until you confirm it.
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Prepare your forms
Oat builds a timeline from what you confirm. It turns your own words into numbered paragraphs and puts your answers on the official court forms. It checks for blank fields.
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Review and file
You read and approve every page. Then you file the forms with the court and deliver copies yourself.
From your first form to the end of your claim
For people and businesses making a claim of up to $50,000 in Ontario Small Claims Court. You take each step yourself. Oat keeps track of your deadlines and keeps your file in order along the way.
Businesses can use Oat for their own claims only.
- Starting your claim
- Preparing the Plaintiff's Claim (Form 7A), which you file with the court.
- Serving the claim
- You officially deliver a copy to the people you are claiming against.
- Default judgment
- A decision you can ask for if they do not respond in time.
- Settlement conference
- A meeting with a judge to try to settle the claim before trial.
- Trial
- The hearing where a judge decides the claim.
- Enforcing a judgment
- The court steps you can take if a judgment is not paid.
Responding to a claim?
Support for defendants, the people and businesses responding to a claim, is coming next. It will cover the Defence (Form 9A) and the steps after it.
Join the waitlist for Oat launch updates.
Join the waitlistHow Oat helps
Oat takes on the organizing and the form-filling. It helps you:
- Keep your documents and dates organized
- Build a timeline from what you confirm
- Put your answers on the right court forms
- Add up amounts you confirm
- Track your deadlines
- Understand the general court process, using official guides
Oat is software, not a law firm.
You make every choice about your claim, and you approve every page before it's used.
Oat doesn't
- Give legal advice or act for you
- Tell you if your claim is strong, or predict what a judge will decide
- Choose who to name or how much to claim
- Contact anyone or file anything for you
Want advice about your claim? You can talk to a lawyer or a licensed paralegal. The Law Society of Ontario can help you find one.
Your information, handled with care
Your information is stored in the United States, where US authorities may be able to access it. The privacy notice explains what that means.
- Audited providers
- Oat stores information with Railway and sends email through Resend. Independent auditors check both providers' security (SOC 2 Type II). These audits cover the providers, not Oat itself.
- Encrypted connections
- Everything you send to Oat travels over an encrypted connection.
- Never sold
- Oat does not sell your information or use it for advertising.
- Kept separate
- If both sides of a dispute use Oat, their files are kept fully separate.
Free while in beta
$0
- Every feature included
- As many claims as you need
- For anyone: people and businesses
Court fees are separate. You pay them to the court, not to Oat.
After the beta
Before Oat charges for anything, it will tell you, and you can choose not to pay.
Businesses can use Oat for their own claims only.
Questions
Is Oat a law firm?
No. Oat is software. It does not give legal advice, and it does not act for you. You write your claim and make every choice. Oat keeps it organized and puts it on the right form. Completed forms say that a lawyer has not reviewed them.
Who can use Oat?
Anyone in Ontario who is starting a Small Claims Court claim on their own, whether a person or a business. Small Claims Court handles claims of up to $50,000. Support for people responding to a claim is planned next.
Does Oat use AI?
Yes, for a few set tasks. It reads documents you upload and suggests dates, amounts and names for you to check. It also places your answers on forms and formats your words into numbered paragraphs. It does not decide anything about your claim. Nothing is used until you confirm it.
Where is my information kept?
With providers whose security is checked by independent auditors (SOC 2). Those audits cover the providers, not Oat itself. Today, that means servers in the United States. Oat does not sell your information. The privacy notice has the details.
Who files the forms?
You do. Oat prepares the forms from your answers. You review them, approve them and file them with the court yourself.
Is Oat available in French?
Yes. Oat is available in English and French, from the website to the forms. You can switch languages at any time, using the link at the top of the page.
When can I start?
Oat is not open yet. Join the waitlist to get one email when it opens. You can also offer to help test it before launch.
A clearer way through Small Claims Court.
Join the waitlist to hear when Oat opens.