Construction & Renovation:

Question: How can a paralegal help if a contractor won’t finish or paid invoices are disputed in Ontario Small Claims Court?

Answer: Pollock Paralegal can help you assess defective or incomplete work claims, payment disputes, and related issues like evidence requirements, holdback, unjust enrichment, and failure to mitigate for Ontario Small Claims Court matters   A paralegal can also help you organize inspection notes, photos, invoices, and witness information so your position is clear, practical, and ready for the next step   If you’re dealing with a construction or renovation dispute in Ontario, call (519) 694-0363 to book a FREE 1/4 hour consultation and start optimizing your approach before delays increase.

Common Disputes Affecting Contractors

Court disputes between a property owner and a contractor hired for a construction or renovation project frequently arise.  In some courts, especially the Small Claims Court, cases involving contractors and homeowners are prevalent.  In such cases it is common that a property owner will accuse a contractor of poor quality work; and in turn, the contractor accuses the property owner of failure of payment.

Challenges

Construction law cases can be very challenging to litigate due to the extent of laws involves as well as the extent of evidence usually involved and the need for independent witnesses to inspect and provide expert reports as to what constitutes as proper workmanship and thus whether the trade standards or the contractual specifications for the project were met, valuation of the portion of work properly completed, among other things; and accordingly, even the seasoned legal professional may find construction law cases as burdensome to litigate.  These cases are often extra challenging and troublesome due to the conduct of the parties involved and breach of various legal duties occuring prior to the obtaining legal advice.

Furthermore, lawsuits involving construction or renovation projects commonly include legal issues that go beyond allegations of poor quality of work and also include legal issues such as quantum meruit disputes over the value of partially completed work, consumer rights concerns, mitigation requirements, and much more.