General Information

In Small Claims Court you can make a claim for up to $25,000 or for the return of goods valued up to a maximum of $25,000. You cannot use this court for matters dealing with ownership of land, wills or for malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, or defamation (libel and slander).
Small Claims Court is less formal than other courts. The case is heard by an adjudicator, not a judge; the adjudicator is a lawyer. Is it worth making a claim? See the brochure Is Small Claims Court for You?

Costs - see Costs & Fees

Making a Claim
You can pick up a claim form at the Small Claims Court office (See 'Location' link at the left of this page). The staff can answer any questions you may have.

If the defendant is a business, you can get the correct name of the business by calling the Registry of Joint Stock Companies at 424-7770. From outside Halifax, call Access Nova Scotia, toll-free, at 1-800-225-8227. You can also go the Registry of Joint Stock Companies web site.

Once the claim form is filled out, you file it with the clerk and pay the fee. The clerk fills in the number of days you will have to give notice of the claim to the defendant (usually 10 days), and the date of the hearing of your claim.

Representing yourself
Download self-help guides for representing yourself in the Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia

Translation into French
Funding for french translations is provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage under the Canada-Nova Scotia Agreement on the Promotion of Official Languages.
Please note - the translation of the Small Claims Court Act, the Small Claims Court Forms and Procedures Regulations and the Small Claims Court Taxation of Costs Regulations has not been approved by the Provincial Legislature and thus is non-official. It is to be used for information purposes and does not commit the Province of Nova Scotia to any change from the English-only structure that exists in the civil courts at present.

• La Loi relative à une Cour des petites créances
  [Small Claims Court Act]
• Règlement relatif à la procédure et aux formules de la Cour des petites créances
  [Small Claims Court Forms and Procedures Regulations]
• Règlement sur la taxation des frais afférents à la Cour des petites créances
  [Small Claims Court Taxation of Costs Regulations]