Who can use it?
- For
- Defendant or claimant answering a counterclaim
- Court rules
- Rules 1–5
When do you need Form 2?
Before using this form, check that your case belongs in Provincial Court and that this form fits your situation. Read the current court rule and official form. Most eligible claims of $5,000 or less start with the Civil Resolution Tribunal, not a new Court Notice of Claim. Some kinds of claims follow different rules.
What to prepare
Copy case details; respond to each disputed amount; explain admissions and defences; use the counterclaim section only if making a counterclaim.
Use the names, addresses and court file number already on your case. Keep the documents and calculations together, and make copies for everyone who needs them. Filling in a form does not prove your case.
File the Reply at the registry
If you are a defendant answering a Notice of Claim, file Form 2 together with Form 38 (Address for Service) at the registry where the Notice of Claim was filed. Under Rule 3(5), the registrar serves your filed Reply on the other parties within 21 days. If you included a counterclaim in Form 2, the registrar also serves that Reply on the claimant; you do not ordinarily serve a separate counterclaim document yourself.
If you are the claimant answering a counterclaim, use Form 2 to reply within 14 days after you are served with it, and file it at the same registry (Rule 4(3.1)). Check the current official form and registry instructions for the copies and any fee required.
Follow the wording and instructions on the official form. You may need to give different copies to different people. The provincial Filing Assistant can help you fill out certain forms. It cannot tell you whether your case belongs in this court or whether your filing will be accepted.
Deadlines and fees
Timing: Usually 14 days after service within BC or 30 days after service outside BC; reply to a counterclaim generally 14 days after service.
Fees: Reply fee is $26 up to $3,000, or $50 above $3,000, unless agreeing to pay the entire claim. Separate counterclaim filing fees may apply.
If you must give a copy to another person, follow the delivery rules for that form. Write down when and how you delivered it. Filing a form with the court is different from giving it to someone else. Estimate ordinary CRT / original Court claim costs. This calculator does not cover every special form or every way to collect money after a judgment.
Watch out for this mistake
Ignoring service, checking agreement-to-pay language accidentally, or confusing Form 2 with a response already continued from CRT proceedings.
Check the current fee, courthouse and hearing instructions. Small-claims procedures can differ at Vancouver Robson Square and Richmond.
When filing a Reply or counterclaim
- Complete only the sections that reflect your position: admitting all or part, disputing amounts, offering a schedule, or counterclaiming. Do not check agreement-to-pay language merely to save the filing fee.
- The counterclaim is included in the current Form 2, not an unrelated form. Schedule A lists a separate filing fee for a counterclaim: $100 at $3,000 or less, or $156 above $3,000.
- When replying to a counterclaim, do not complete the counterclaim section again unless the Rules expressly permit the additional claim.