Important: Starting October 14, 2025, all online filings for the Toronto region must be submitted using the Ontario Courts Public Portal. The Family Submissions Online portal will continue to be available to file court documents online for family cases in other regions outside of Toronto.

How it works

There are different online portals to file documents for a Small Claims Court, bankruptcy or family case. Learn about these portals:

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

Find a lawyer

When you are filing documents with the court, it's best to contact a lawyer.

It’s important to contact a lawyer because they will:

  • know which documents to file at each step of a case
  • understand the court processes you must follow, as set out in the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Superior Court of Justice's Notices or Practice Directions
  • help you understand your options and legal risks
  • explain what evidence you need for your case
  • tell you the consequences of not giving the required information or following court rules

If you don't have a lawyer, you can find one through:

Documents you can file online (Toronto region)

Note: You can no longer use the Civil Claims Online portal or the Civil Submissions Online portal to file court documents online for Toronto region cases. You must use the Ontario Courts Public Portal.

Important:

You cannot submit documents online:

  • to request an urgent court hearing
  • for a court date that is 3 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 3 business days or fewer away

How to file online

Before you submit

In order for you to submit documents online, you must have:

  • an online My Ontario account
  • your Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard, or Debit Mastercard, if filing fees apply
  • your court file number (if you are filing additional documents on an existing case)

Fees

Regardless of whether you are filing 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 40 minutes. Your information will not be saved.

Important:

  • Most civil court documents are publicly accessible. This means that the public can view the information which 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.
  • Your documents can be viewed online after submission through the Ontario Courts Public Portal. To view your submitted documents, log into your Ontario Courts Public Portal account and select “My Filings”.

After you submit

After you submit your document(s) through the Ontario Courts Public Portal:

  1. You will see an on-screen confirmation that your documents were submitted but are not yet filed or issued by the court.
  2. You can track the status of your submission within the portal under “My Filings”.
  3. Court staff will review your documents within 3 business days to determine if they are accepted for filing or issuance.

If your documents are accepted

If your documents are accepted:

  1. You will receive an email confirming your documents have been filed or issued.
  2. Once approved, your filing status will update from “Received” to “Approved” on your “My Filings” page.

If your documents are rejected 

If your documents are rejected, you will receive an email stating:

  • your documents have not been filed or issued.
  • the reason(s) for the rejection
  • confirmation that your credit or debit card has not been charged.

The status of your filing in the Ontario Courts Public Portal will update from “Received” to “Rejected”.

If your documents are rejected, you can fix the issue(s), by:

  1. Modifying your submission in “My Filings.”
  2. Resubmitting the revised documents and paying any court filing fees.

If the court has filed or issued your document, you will receive an email confirming their acceptance. Log into your Ontario Courts Public Portal account. Then, go to the “My Cases” section to view an issued document online.

Documents you can file online (outside of Toronto)

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.

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 one, you must use the Civil Submissions Online portal 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 one, you must use the Civil Submissions Online portal. Submit all documents there, including those under Rule 4.05.1 of the Rules of Civil Procedure that you would otherwise file with the Civil Claims Online portal.

To submit a document and apply for a fee waiver certificate together, select “Fee waiver request” for any document that usually requires 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 documents for a civil case or a Divisional Court case. Use the Civil Submissions Online portal for filing and issuance in the Superior Court of Justice. You will get an email from the court within 3 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 3 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 3 business days or fewer away.

How to file online

Before you submit

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, subject to any exemption that may apply (for example, if you have or are requesting a fee waiver).

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 20 minutes. You can save your most recent online transaction as a draft and complete it later. When you return to your draft, you will need to upload your attachments again.

File your documents (outside of Toronto)

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 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (excluding holidays):

  • it will be considered filed at that time
  • an online confirmation will be displayed on your screen right away

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

After you submit your document(s) via Civil Submissions Online: 

  1. You will see an on-screen confirmation that your documents were submitted but are not yet filed or issued by the court.
  2. Take a screenshot or print a copy of this screen for your records.
  3. Court staff will review your documents within 3 business days to determine if they are accepted for filing or issuance. 

If your documents are accepted

If your documents are accepted:

  • You will receive an email confirming your documents have been filed or issued

If your documents are rejected

If your documents are rejected, you will receive an email stating:

  • your documents have not been filed or issued
  • the reason(s) for the rejection
  • confirmation that your credit or debit card has not been charged

If your documents are rejected, you can fix the issue(s), by:

  1. Revising your documents
  2. Using the Civil Submissions Online portal to resubmit them and paying any court filing fees.

If the court filed or issued your document, you will receive an email with the filed or issued document attached by email or available for download.

Contact Us

If you have questions about your specific case, please contact the court office where your documents were submitted or filed.

For questions about Ontario Courts Public Portal, the Civil Claims Online portal or the Civil Submissions Online portal, contact the Ministry of Attorney General – Court Services Division Contact Centre:

Ontario Courts Public Portal: CourtsPortal@ontario.ca 

Civil Claims Online portal or Civil Submissions Online portal: civilclaimsonline@ontario.ca