What does it cost to sue, and can I recover costs?

Court fees (Ontario): Filing a claim costs $108 (infrequent claimant); setting a matter down for trial costs $290. Fee waivers are available for those who qualify.

Court fees (BC): Provincial Court filing fees are $100 (claims up to $3,000) or $156 (over $3,000). CRT fees range from $75 to $225 depending on claim size and stage.

Recovering costs: Successful parties generally recover their court fees from the loser. In Ontario, representation-fee awards are capped at 15% of the claim amount (more if a party behaved unreasonably or an offer to settle was beaten). In BC Provincial Court, recoverable costs are limited to filing and service expenses — a reason to make realistic settlement offers early.