WESTMONT Law Group LLP

Civil Litigation · Pleadings · Mediation · Trial

Served with a claim — or need to bring one?

Litigation runs on clocks that start without you. Served in Ontario, you generally have 20 days to respond. Owed money, every month of delay is leverage lost. Either way — call while there is room to move.

Holding a Statement of Claim? The response clock is generally 20 days from service in Ontario. Bring the date you were served to the call.

If the clock is running

Start with your dispute.

Pick what fits — it carries through to the contact form so you only explain things once.

How we act

Defending a claim

Served

Noting the deadline, protecting your position, and filing a Statement of Defence that concedes nothing it shouldn’t. Counterclaims where the facts support them.

Bringing a claim

Owed

Demand letters with consequences attached, pleadings built to survive motions, and pressure applied where it actually moves the other side.

Resolution

Negotiation · Mediation

Most disputes end before a judge decides them. We negotiate and mediate from prepared positions — preparation is the leverage.

Trial

When it counts

Examinations for discovery, motions, and trial. If the matter must be decided, it is argued by the partner who has carried it from the first call.

What happens when you call

From served to settled — or tried.

The 20-minute call

A partner hears the dispute, identifies the clock that’s running, and gives you a straight read on the claim, the deadline, and the realistic paths.

The engagement letter

Scope, fee structure and first moves in writing within one business day — including where the exits are.

We take carriage

Pleadings drafted, service handled, correspondence through us. You stop receiving threatening letters directly — we do the corresponding.

A partner’s hand on every pleading

Everything served or sent on your behalf is drafted and signed by the partner carrying your file — with the second partner’s view on the pivotal calls.

Before we speak

Protect your case now.

  • Don’t ignore service. A claim you ignore can become a default judgment — enforceable against wages, accounts and property. Note the date you were served; the clock runs from it.
  • Preserve everything. Contracts, emails, texts, invoices, photos. Don’t edit, don’t delete — destroyed evidence does more damage than bad evidence.
  • Stop talking to the other side. Direct conversations create admissions and concessions. Once counsel is involved, route everything through us.
  • Don’t post about it. Anything public is discoverable. The dispute does not need an audience yet.
  • Move early if you’re owed. Limitation periods in Ontario are generally two years from when you knew you had a claim — and evidence is freshest now.

General information, not legal advice for your dispute — that is what the call is for.

Plain answers · Civil litigation

The questions every lawsuit raises.

How long do I have to respond to a Statement of Claim? +

Generally 20 days if you were served in Ontario, and longer if served elsewhere. Treat the date of service as day zero and call now — the deadline can often be protected quickly with a Notice of Intent to Defend.

What does litigation cost? +

The fee structure is set out in writing before you retain the firm, along with where the decision points are. Litigation has exits — offers, mediation, negotiated resolution — and we flag them as they come, with the cost of each path in front of you.

Will my case go to trial? +

Many civil matters resolve before trial — at mediation, after discoveries, or through negotiated settlement. We prepare every file as if it will be tried; that preparation is what produces resolutions worth signing.

What is mandatory mediation? +

Most civil actions in Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor go through mandatory mediation — a structured settlement session with a neutral mediator — before trial. It is an early chance to end the dispute on your terms, and we prepare for it like a hearing.

How long does a lawsuit take? +

Months for the pleadings phase; years if a matter runs all the way to trial. Where speed matters, we tell you which levers exist — motions, offers to settle, summary judgment — and what each costs to pull.

I received a demand letter. Do I have to respond? +

Not legally — but silence has consequences too. Have it read before you decide. The 20-minute call is enough to know what you’re holding.

Free 20-minute call.

+1 647 619 6207

Bring the claim, the letter, or the story. A partner will tell you what you’re holding and what it would take.

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