File civil or Divisional Court documents online
Learn how to file court documents online for a civil case and a Divisional Court case in the Superior Court of Justice – without having to go to court.
How it works
There are different online portals to file documents for a small claims, bankruptcy or family case. Learn about these portals:
- File small claims court documents online
- File bankruptcy documents online
- File family court documents online
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 online in a civil and a Divisional Court case in the Superior Court of Justice. You can also request the issuance of court documents online.
When you are filing documents with the court, it's best to do work with a lawyer. They know what documents you must file at every step in a case and the court processes you must follow as set out in the Rules of Civil Procedure and in the Superior Court of Justice’s Notices or Practice Directions.
A lawyer can provide advice on your options and legal risks, the evidence that should be provided to the court for your case, and the consequences of failing to provide the required information or follow court procedure.
Find a lawyer
If you don't have a lawyer, you can find one through:
- Law Society of Ontario’s referral service or directory of lawyers
- Pro Bono Ontario, if you can’t afford a lawyer and need help with a civil matter
Documents you can file online
Civil Claims Online: You can submit the civil court documents listed in Rule 4.05.1 of the Rules of Civil Procedure for automatic filing and issuance through the Civil Claims Online portal.
Fee Waiver Notice: If you have a fee waiver or want to apply for a fee waiver, you must use the Civil Submissions Online portal described below to submit your documents.
The Civil Claims Online portal will not apply the relevant fee exemptions. You will not receive a fee refund if you file a document using Civil Claims Online.
If you have a fee waiver or want to apply for a fee waiver, you must use the Civil Submissions Online portal to submit all documents, including those listed under Rule 4.05.1 of the Rules of Civil Procedure that would otherwise be filed using the Civil Claims Online portal.
If you are submitting a document and applying for a fee waiver certificate at the same time, choose “Fee waiver request” for any document that would normally have a fee.
If you are submitting a document and you already have a fee waiver certificate, choose “Document is being submitted by a person with a fee waiver certificate” for any document that would normally have a fee.
Civil Submissions Online: You can submit other documents for a civil case or a Divisional Court case in the Superior Court of Justice for filing and issuance through the Civil Submissions Online portal. You will get an email from the court within five business days to tell you if your documents were accepted and successfully filed or issued.
Important:
You cannot submit documents online:
- to request an urgent court hearing
- for a court date that is five business days or fewer away
- if you need to meet a deadline established by legislation or other court rules, court practice direction or a court order that is five business days or fewer away.
How to file online
Before you submit
Before you submit documents online, make sure you have:
- an online My Ontario account
- all your court documents completed and saved as individual PDFs or in Word (.docx) format. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 (or higher) installed on your computer to complete these forms in PDF format
- your Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard, or Debit Mastercard, if filing fees apply
- your court file number ready, if you are filing documents for an existing case
Fees
To file court documents online or at a court counter, you need to pay the required filing fees.
If you cannot afford to pay court or enforcement fees in your proceeding, you may request a fee waiver. If you are granted a fee waiver, it will apply to most fees in your court proceeding from that point forward. Find out how to apply for a fee waiver.
File your documents
Your session will expire if you’re inactive for 15 minutes. Your information will not be saved.
Important:
- Civil court documents are public documents. The public can view the information you provide whether you file in person or online. Learn more about public access to civil court files.
- Be careful when entering personal information online, where people can see and/or capture it on camera. Don’t open an online account or enter your password in public and shield any forms you are filling out.
- Once you file a document, online or at a courthouse, you cannot change it. You or your lawyer may need to take legal steps to make any changes or corrections.
- Once you’ve submitted your document(s), you cannot view it online. Keep copies of the documents for your records.
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 submit a:
- Statement of Claim
- Notice of Action
- Third, Fourth or Subsequent Party Claim
- Certificate of Action under section 36 of the Construction Act
If you do not receive this email, contact the courthouse where the claim started.
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 reason(s) for the rejection and confirming that your credit/debit card has not been charged
If your documents are rejected, you can address the reason(s) for the rejection by revising your documents and resubmitting the revised documents together with any applicable court filing fee(s) 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.