Difference between revisions of "Choosing the Proper Forum for Small Claims (20:IV)"

The  cost  to  file  a  claim  depends  on  the  amount  being  claimed.    The  filing  fee  is  $100  for claims  of  $3,000  or  less  and  $156 for  claims  over  $3,000.    All  Small  Claims  Court  fees  are listed in Schedule A of the SCR. If a person is unable to afford the court’ s fees, they can file an Application to the Registrar (Form  16)  together  with  a  Statement  of  Finances.    If  accepted,  the  party  will  be  exempted under Rule 20(1) from paying fees with respect to that court file. An  unsuccessful  litigant  must,  unless  a  judge  or  registrar  orders  otherwise,  pay  to  the successful party: any fees the successful party paid for filing any documents; reasonable amounts the party paid for serving any documents; and any other reasonable charges or expenses that the judge or registrar considers directly relate to the conduct of the proceeding28. Under no circumstances can any party recover any fees paid to a lawyer with respect to the proceeding:  s.  19(4)  of  the  SCA;  however,  reasonable  disbursements  charged  by  a  lawyer with respect to the proceeding may be awarded to the successful party. B.Supreme Court of British Columbia The Supreme Court has a broad jurisdiction.  It is not bound by any monetary limits and there are few restrictions on the types of claims that it can hear.  The Supreme Court can grant injunctions, conduct judicial reviews, and make new law. The Supreme Court is not designed for lay litigants. Parties without legal training or legal advice may find  it  much  more  difficult  to  navigate  than  Small  Claims  Court.    There  are,  however,  a  number  of resources29 to help lay litigants bring and defend claims in Supreme Court. The court fees in Supreme Court are higher than in Small Claims Court; they can be waived, however, for those who cannot afford them. In  Supreme Court,  the  losing  party  will  often  be  ordered  to  pay  to  the  successful  party  a  portion  of that  party’ s reasonable  legal  costs.    Costs  are  awarded using  a  tariff system  and  generally  on  a  party and party basis that usually amounts to about twenty per cent of the successful party’ s costs.  While it is  possible  for  the  successful  party  to  be  fully  indemnified  through  an  award  of  special  costs,  also known as solicitor-client costs, this is rare and should not be expected. C.Civil Resolution Tribunal The Civil Resolution Tribunal is designed to be an alternative to Small Claims Court.  It is anticipated that the tribunal will begin operations some time in 2015.In June 2014, regulations were enacted that