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Small Claims Court: A Guide to Trial Preparation 2024

Live webinar
OR available video recording

JP Rodrigues, Dante Spadacini

5 hours

Summary

This one-day course provides guidance for new advocates in preparing for a Small Claims Court (SCC) trial and is taught by a seasoned civil litigator. Our instructor will discuss the steps and strategy involved from the first client meeting, preparation of pleadings, attendance at the settlement conference, pre-trial proceedings, the trial day, and its aftermath. The course will also address dealing with ethical issues that arise in this type of litigation. This is a great one-day workshop for those new to practicing in Small Claims Court!

Course outline

  • Paralegal/Lawyer – Client Relationship
  • Acting for the Plaintiff
  • Acting for the Defendant
  • Offers to Settle and Settlement Conferences
  • Assessment Hearings, Trials, and Motions After Trial
  • Enforcing Court Judgments

CPD credits

For Lawyers and Paralegals

Law Society of Ontario

Your Instructors

Dante Spadacini

Dante Spadacini is a lawyer with a practice focusing on commercial and residential real estate, corporate law and civil litigation. Dante has appeared before various courts in Ontario, including the Small Claims Court, Divisional Court and Court of Appeal. He holds two Master of Laws degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School, one in Canadian Common Law and a second in International Business Law and is currently faculty at the Centre for Legal and Administrative Studies at Centennial College.

John Paul Rodrigues

This session will be moderated by John-Paul Rodrigues, who is an award-winning legal instructor, being a past recipient of Career College Ontario’s Excellence in Teaching Award and the Instructor of the Year at one of the colleges that he teaches at. He is passionate about helping paralegal students accomplish their dreams and goals at a number of colleges, where he is focused on developing and nurturing future legal practitioners into becoming strong and successful advocates.

J.P. is also the host of the Justice in Pieces Guest Speaker Series, where he has discussed with 500+ lawyers, paralegals, judges, politicians and other guests about various areas of the law. J.P. is also an experienced lawyer, working as telephone duty counsel, providing advice to those in need.

Single course
$150

What is included

Purchasing options

This course has an updated version!

This course ran in October 2024. Its CPD approval has expired, and a current version is available.