Small claims pilot - financial debt claims in Robson Square

Financial debt claims can be made by money lenders or creditors in order to collect a debt from a loan or extension of credit. At Robson Square, all financial debt claims are handled as summary trials – a half-hour streamlined trial before a judge.

Before the trial

The court registry will send you a notice of summary trial for financial debt. It will show the date of your summary trial.

Each party involved in a financial debt claim must:

At least 14 days before the summary trial:

• File any documents to support their case (e.g. contract, statement of account, proof of payment, etc.)

At least seven (7) days before the summary trial:

• Serve copies of any documents to each of the other parties

How a summary trial works

A summary trial is designed to be faster than an ordinary trial and may not follow the formal rules of procedure and evidence. You will be asked to take an oath or swear to tell the truth before giving evidence in court. The judge may ask you to:

• Explain your case
• Respond to the other party
• Call witnesses

If you’re unable to attend the trial

You can request to change the date by following the date change process used for simplified trials. If you do not attend, your claim may be dismissed or you may need to pay a fine.

• Review small claims rule 9.2
• Contact the Robson Square court registry