How much does it cost to file a small claims application?
Short answer
In Quebec, the court fees for filing a small claims application vary with the amount claimed: for an individual, $121 ($0.01 to $5,000), $223 ($5,000.01 to $10,000) or $241 ($10,000.01 to $15,000). These rates are indexed on January 1 of each year.
In detail
For a legal person, the same brackets give $191, $318 and $382. The fees to contest a claim follow the same schedule, as does an application for revocation of judgment. These amounts are not subject to federal or provincial tax.
At the enforcement stage, signing and filing the first notice of execution costs $52 for an individual and $63.75 for a legal person. An opposition to a seizure costs $121 (individual) or $191 (legal person), and a SOQUIJ search, $6.
Your application is not legally filed until the court office receives the form and the court fees are paid. Payment can be made by any method of payment except a personal cheque. Since the rates are indexed annually, check the schedule in force before you pay.
What to document
Every amount you pay out for your file, with its date and its receipt: filing fees, registered mail, expert reports, bailiff. The judgment deals with the question of costs, and anything that is not documented cannot be claimed.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
Open the application Up to 3 files, no card · see the plans
Official sources
- Schedule of court fees — Small Claims — Gouvernement du Québec
- Cost of proceedings and payment of fees — Gouvernement du Québec
Related questions
- Will I get my court costs back if I win?
- Which courthouse do I have to file my application in?
- How do I find a business's real legal name to sue it?
- How do I file a small claims application online?
- Can someone help me fill out the form for free?
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.