Ontario Civil Trial Manual

Welcome to the Ontario Civil Trial Manual, authored by civil trial lawyer Mick Hassell. The focus of the trial manual is civil cases before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The Ontario Civil Trial Manual was written to help law firms, lawyers, paralegals, law clerks, legal assistants and self-reps.  It is trial information not trial advice.

The trial manual is organized around the 6 Trial Fundamentals: story, people, documents and things, law of evidence, trial procedure and substantive law.

The road to trial – a civil trial preparation checklist is a useful guide as you prepare for trial. Our Trial Forms will help along the road to trial.

1. STORY

• Theory of the case, opening statement, closing argument
• Agreed statement of facts
• Request to admit facts
• Examination transcripts at trial

2. PEOPLE

• Witness management
• Summonses
• Direct examination
• Cross-examination
• Witness preparation
• Expert affidavit

3. DOCUMENTS AND THINGS           

• Trial document brief
• Joint trial document brief
• Request to admit the authenticity of documents
• Exhibit list

4. LAW OF EVIDENCE

• Expert witnesses and expert reports
• Evidence Act notice – business records
• Evidence Act notice – medical
• Law of evidence fundamentals
• Common objections

5. TRIAL PROCEDURE

• The road to trial – a civil trial preparation checklist
• Setting actions down for trial
• Trial Management Plan ***new for 2020***
• Pre-trial conferences
• Motions
• How trial sittings work
• Jury selection
• Jury questions

6. SUBSTANTIVE LAW

• Liability & Damages
• Trial factum
• Offers to settle and trial
• Trial costs

Ontario Civil Trial Manual

Trial Forms     Check out our Services

This manual is trial information, not trial legal advice.

Copyright Notice ©

The Ontario Civil Trial Manual is copyrighted.  For permission to reproduce part of the trial manual please call (416) 944-2274 or email info@trialcounsel.ca.  Feedback and topic suggestions are welcome.  Thank you.