File civil case documents online
Learn how to file court documents online for a civil case in the Superior Court of Justice – without having to go to court.
How it works
A civil case is a lawsuit between individuals and/or corporations.
It can address disputes about terms of contracts or claims for:
- injury to a person
- their property
- their reputation
You can file most court documents in a civil case in the Superior Court of Justice online. You can also make online requests for the issuance of civil court documents.
It’s best to work with a lawyer when you are filing documents in a civil case. They know what documents you must file at every step in a case, as set out in the Rules of Civil Procedure or in any court Notices or Practice Directions.
Find a lawyer
If you don't have a lawyer, you can find one through:
- Law Society of Ontario’s referral service
- Pro Bono Law Ontario, if you can’t afford a lawyer and don’t qualify for legal aid
Documents you can file online
You can submit certain court documents listed in Rule 4.05.1 of the Rules of Civil Procedure for automatic filing and issuance through the Civil Claims Online section of the site.
You can submit other civil court documents to seek filing and issuance through the Civil Submissions Online section of the site. You will get an email from the court within five business days to tell you if your documents were accepted. These documents are listed under Rule 4.05.2 of the Rules of Civil Procedure.
How to file online
Before you submit
Before you submit documents online, make sure you have:
- an online One-key account
- all your court documents completed and saved as individual PDFs. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 (or higher) installed on your computer to complete these forms
- your Visa, Mastercard, or Interac debit card, if filing fees apply
- your court file number ready, if you are filing documents for an existing case
Cost
To file court documents online or at a court counter, you need to pay the required filing fees.
File your documents
Your session will expire if you’re inactive for 15 minutes. Your information will not be saved.
After you submit
After you submit a document through Civil Claims Online
If you file your document(s) through Civil Claims Online on a weekday between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm (excluding holidays):
- it will be considered filed at that time
- an online confirmation will be displayed on your screen right away, unless an unexpected system outage occurs
If you file your document(s) outside regular business hours, it will be considered filed on the next business day.
You will receive an email from the court with your issued document attached to the email if you file a:
- Statement of Claim
- Notice of Action
- Third Party Claim
If you do not receive this email, contact the courthouse where you started your claim.
After you submit a document through Civil Submissions Online
If you submit your document(s) through Civil Submissions Online, you will receive an on-screen confirmation that your documents have been submitted but are not yet filed or issued by the court. Take a screenshot or print a copy of this screen for your records.
Court staff will review your documents within five business days to determine if they are accepted for filing or issuance. If your documents are:
- accepted, you will receive an email confirming your documents have been filed or issued
- rejected, you will receive an email stating your documents have not been filed or issued, the reasons for the rejection and confirming that any filing fee payment will be refunded
If your documents are rejected, you can address the issues and resubmit the revised documents and the proper court filing fee to the court.
If the court issued your document, you will receive the issued document by email.
Contact Us
If you have questions about your case, please contact the court office where your documents were submitted or filed.