June 2025 Small Claims Rule Changes Explained
Hi Everyone, it's Kristy from Clearly Legal.
I know June of 2025 feels soo last year (really, almost so 2 years ago). It was a big change, and its worth taking a deeper dive into the changes..especially for all of you litigators out there who avoid small claims because it's, well, small claims.
Settlement conference orders now go to everyone
One of the clearest changes is to Rule 8.01(6).
I know, I know. Settlement Conferences are talked about in Rule 13. The SERVICE of any Settlement Conference Order is, in fact, in Rule 8 Service. The Rule about service changed.
A settlement conference is a court event where the parties try to narrow the issues, explore settlement, and get direction from the court. After that conference, the court may make an order. That order can deal with next steps, deadlines, documents, or other directions.
Before the June 2025 change, the rule focused on serving the settlement conference order on parties who did not attend the conference.
Now, settlement conference orders are to be served on all parties, not just the ones who missed the conference.
It is a small wording change, it is also a smart and practical wording change. Though you should not miss a settlement conference (you should reschedule it instead), it does happen, and this makes the court circulate the outcome to everyone.
Rule 8.10 now gives clearer wording about needing more time
Rule 8.10 has also been cleaned up.
The change makes the language more clear and precise when a party needs more time to respond to a document that has been served on them.
“Served” just means a document has been formally given to another party in a way the court rules allow. Once a document is served, a deadline may start running. That deadline can matter a lot.
If the responding party needs more time, the rule now uses clearer language around that request. In drafting this blog, I reviewed. The rule is less clunky now (yes, I said less clunky).
Rule 12 now tightens up amendments
Rule 12 deals with amendments.
An amendment means changing a court document after it has already been filed. In small claims, that could mean changing a claim, a defence, or another filed document.
The June 2025 change requires that amendments can only be made by:
Providing the original pleading, or
Stating the reason why the original pleading is not being provided
The new requirement pushes parties to be clearer; and hold them accountable to that.
If the original pleading is available, provide it. If it isn’t, explain why.
Why these changes matter in real life
The Rules of Small Claims Court are full of steps that look small on paper but matter in practice.
These June 2025 changes point in the same direction. They’re about clearer notice, cleaner paperwork, and fewer surprises.
There are more changes, and they’re worth reviewing
These three updates were not the only changes, there were over 30 of them. Depending on the last time you worked with Small Claims, you may be stuck in May of 2025.
That’s exactly where I can help.
I can distill the changes, flag what matters, and help with clerking support that saves time and money.
I’ve worked with the Small Claims Court Rules for over 20 years. Lawyers and Licensed Paralegals, you want my clerking skills; my experience can save you time and money contact me at kristy@clearlylegal.ca and we'll chat.
Disclaimer: This post provides general information about alternative service of legal documents from a law clerk. It is not legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a lawyer or active licensed paralegal.
