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Small Claims Academy
The Online Academy for Alberta Small Claims Court

Alberta Small Claims Introductory Course

Online training for your next small claims step.

Learn the process, risks, deadlines, evidence basics, and collection steps whether you are deciding to sue, already filed, preparing for court, or trying to get paid.

Built by a team with experience across more than 30,000 Alberta small claims files.

Start the free quiz See what the course covers

No names, documents or private case details are requested. Your quiz answers stay in your browser.

Could you win — and still collect nothing?
It happens constantly. The court doesn't collect the money for you — and nobody at the courthouse will warn you.
Find out in 2 minutes — free →
Is your deadline already running out?
A clock started the day you discovered your loss. Miss it and your claim is dead — no matter how right you are.
Check where you stand →
Are you suing a business that doesn't legally exist?
The name on the truck is often not the legal name. Get it wrong and your claim can be refused — or worthless.
Test your claim now →
Free interactive assessment

The 2-Minute Should I Sue Quiz

Ready when you are
About 2 minutes

Get a useful answer without telling us your story.

01 No account or sign-in required 02 No identifying case details requested 03 Your answers are calculated in this page only

Your 2-Minute Quiz Result

Here’s where you stand

0
True
0
False
0
Not Sure

Every False or Not Sure answer is something the course walks you through step by step.

Email my results + free checklist See the course
Before your next step

Four questions decide whether a claim is ready.

Small claims court is designed for self-represented people, but the system still expects you to understand the road. Start by checking the practical risks around the step you are on now.

01

Is it worth it?

Compare the amount at stake with filing fees, time, stress, and the realistic payoff.
02

Do you have legal footing?

Check the obligation, the correct defendant, and the deadline before you move forward.
03

Can you prove it?

Organize records, dates, messages, contracts, photos, and the story they support.
04

Can you collect?

Winning is not the same as getting paid. Collection is its own process.
Why this exists

Why this exists: one of our team won a $42,000 judgment in Alberta small claims court and collected zero dollars.

The other side claimed bankruptcy. Between fees, time off work, and enforcement attempts, being completely right still cost roughly $32,000.

That case is why Small Claims Academy keeps returning to the same theme: know the whole road before you take the next step.

Check your claim now — free

The course explains the full Alberta small claims process. The scorecard helps you identify risk. The course teaches the process in the order a real case unfolds, from the decision to sue through to getting paid.

Module 1

What road am I actually on?

Get the full map from first decision to enforcement so nothing feels random.

Module 2

Which Alberta court path applies?

Understand where civil claims fit and what the court expects from you.

Module 3

Should I sue at all?

Weigh cost, time, stress, proof, and collection before you commit.

Module 4

Am I ready to file?

Check names, deadlines, documents, and weak spots before paperwork starts.

Module 5

How do I file properly?

Learn what the claim needs to say and how to avoid common filing mistakes.

Module 6

How do I serve them?

See why service matters and how proof of service keeps the case moving.

Module 7

What if they ignore me?

Learn when default judgment may be available and what still has to be proven.

Module 8

How do I prepare for court?

Organize your evidence, timeline, witnesses, and story into something usable.

Module 9

What happens at trial?

Know the courtroom flow so you can present clearly and respond calmly.

Module 10

How do I get paid after judgment?

Understand enforcement options before a win turns into another problem.

Includes a companion workbook that you fill in lesson by lesson — evidence log, demand letter draft, deadline timeline, cost worksheets. By the end of the course, your workbook is a large part of your actual case file.

Built for Albertans representing themselves, in plain English, by a team with experience across more than 30,000 Alberta small claims files. Early-access members hear first and get the best pricing the course will ever have.

Join the course early-access list

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Common questions

Alberta small claims, answered plainly.

How much can you sue for in Alberta small claims court?

Up to $100,000. Claims are heard by the Alberta Court of Justice – Civil (many people still call it small claims court). Larger claims go to the Court of King's Bench, where the process is more complex and more expensive.

How much does it cost to file a small claim in Alberta?

The filing fee is $100 for claims up to $7,500 and $200 for claims from $7,501 to $100,000. If you win, you can generally recover the filing fee from the other side. The bigger cost is usually your time — a contested case that goes to a full trial can take 70 or more hours in total.

How long do I have to sue someone in Alberta?

The general limitation period is 2 years from when you discovered the problem, or reasonably should have discovered it, with an ultimate ceiling of 10 years. Miss the deadline and the claim is typically over, no matter how strong it is. Some claim types run on different clocks, so if you are close to the line, confirming your specific deadline with a lawyer is money well spent.

Do I need a lawyer for small claims court in Alberta?

No. The court is designed for self-represented people, and thousands of Albertans handle their own claims every year. Free duty counsel lawyers are also available at major courthouses for brief advice. That said, representing yourself well means knowing the process — which is exactly what this site is for.

What happens if I win but the other side doesn't pay?

The court does not collect the money for you. Enforcement is a separate process — filing a writ, garnishing wages or a bank account, registering against property — with its own steps and costs. This is why checking whether the other side can actually pay, before you file, matters so much.

Can I sue a business using the name on their sign or truck?

Usually not by itself. You generally need the defendant's correct legal name — a business's trade name and its legal name are often different, and a claim naming only a trade name may be refused or prove uncollectable. An Alberta corporate registry search (about $30) confirms the exact legal name before you file.