Ontario directory

Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Law Firms in City of Ottawa, Ontario

165 law firms.

What does a civil litigation lawyer in Ottawa do?

A civil litigation lawyer resolves disputes between people, businesses, or organizations where no criminal charge is involved. The common files are breach of contract, unpaid debts, property and construction disputes, shareholder disagreements, and professional negligence. If a case goes to trial, it's heard at the Superior Court of Justice at the Ottawa Courthouse, 161 Elgin Street, with the Small Claims Court handling smaller matters. Most disputes settle or resolve through negotiation or mediation long before that.

A good litigator spends as much time keeping clients out of court as in it. Ottawa firms act for clients across the city, from Kanata tech companies to homeowners in Orleans.

Which court hears your Ottawa dispute?

The court depends on how much you're claiming. The Superior Court of Justice hears the larger claims and the more complex ones, while the Small Claims Court is built for straightforward, lower-value matters. As of October 1, 2025, the Small Claims Court limit rose to $50,000, up from $35,000. Anything above that belongs in Superior Court, unless you're willing to give up the excess.

The two tracks move differently. Small Claims is faster and cheaper, so a Nepean contractor chasing a modest unpaid invoice sits there. A six-figure commercial fight between two Stittsville businesses goes to the Superior Court, where the procedure and the costs are heavier.

How long do you have to start a claim?

For most civil claims the deadline is two years, set by the Limitations Act, 2002. The clock usually starts the day you knew, or reasonably should have known, that you had a claim and that going to court was the right response. That start date isn't always the day the problem happened, which is one reason to get advice early rather than assume you still have time.

Miss the limitation period and you can lose the right to sue altogether, no matter how strong the underlying case is. Some claims carry their own separate notice rules on top of the two-year period, particularly disputes with a municipality or a public body. A lawyer will calendar every relevant date at the outset so nothing lapses while the file is being built.

How do you choose a civil litigation firm in Ottawa?

Start with a firm that has actually run your kind of dispute, whether that's a contract claim, a construction lien, or a shareholder disagreement. Ask who will carry your file day to day, how the firm approaches settlement versus trial, and how it bills, since litigation is usually hourly rather than contingency. Ottawa firms serve the downtown core along with Kanata, Nepean, Orleans, and Stittsville, so there's likely one near you.

You can confirm any lawyer's standing on the Law Society of Ontario directory. Browse the civil litigation & dispute resolution firms in Ottawa below.

A & C Law Firm LLP

3 lawyers

A & C Law Firm LLP is an Ottawa firm focused on immigration and civil litigation. It also handles family law and notary matters, including wills, estates, separation and divorce, and offers document certification serv…

Immigration LawImmigration LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Addo Law Professional Corporation is a client-focused law firm with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, practicing civil litigation, family law, construction law, and real estate law, including real estate litigation and t…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawConstruction LawConstruction LawReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Allan Snelling LLP

3 lawyers

Allan Snelling LLP is a full-service law firm based in Kanata, serving the Ottawa and Kanata area. Its lawyers practice personal injury, business and employment law, wills and estates, and criminal and quasi-criminal …

Personal InjuryPersonal InjuryBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Altair Law

1 lawyer

Altair Law is an Ottawa business law firm that serves entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small and medium-sized businesses. The firm handles corporate and commercial law, commercial litigation, employment law, commercial l…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Anders Law

2 lawyers · Est. 1973

Anders Law is a general practice law firm in Ottawa, founded by Kurt Anders in 1973 and now run alongside his daughter Katrina Anders. The firm handles family law, real estate, wills and estates, corporate and commerc…

Family LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Arbique & Ahde

5 lawyers

Arbique & Ahde is a small personal law firm minutes from downtown Ottawa, with a branch office in Stittsville. It serves individual and corporate clients in real estate, wills, trusts and estate planning, business law…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Arbor Law

1 lawyer

Arbor Law is a solo intellectual property law practice run by Tracey Doyle, who was called to the bar in 2017. The firm handles intellectual property litigation, including trademark, copyright, and patent matters, alo…

Intellectual PropertyIntellectual PropertyIndigenous LawIndigenous LawClass ActionsClass ActionsCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Arcade IP & Business Law, formerly known as Andrews Robichaud, is an intellectual property and business law firm with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. It practices in patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial designs, …

Intellectual PropertyIntellectual PropertyBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionTechnology & StartupsTechnology & Startups

Atasoy Law Firm

1 lawyer

Atasoy Law Firm is a Canada-based firm serving business leaders and immigrants, with offices in Toronto and Ottawa. It practices business, corporate, and commercial law, civil litigation, and immigration and estates l…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionImmigration LawImmigration LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Auger Hollingsworth Accident & Injury Lawyers is an Ottawa personal injury firm founded in 2004 by Richard Auger, who was soon joined by his wife and law partner Brenda Hollingsworth. It represents injured clients acr…

Personal InjuryPersonal InjuryInsurance LawInsurance LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCriminal DefenceCriminal Defence

BARAPP Personal Injury Law Firm, the flagship office of BARAPP Law Alliance, is a Toronto personal injury practice led by Eric Barapp, whose father and grandfather also practiced law. The firm represents clients acros…

Personal InjuryPersonal InjuryInsurance LawInsurance LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour Law

BD Law Offices

1 lawyer

BD Law Offices is a sole-practitioner firm in Ottawa run by Martin Z. Black, a barrister, solicitor and notary public with more than 40 years of experience. The firm handles residential and commercial real estate, cor…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsBankruptcy & InsolvencyBankruptcy & Insolvency

Bear Sterling Law Group is a law firm with offices in Ottawa and Dubai, practising real estate, business, and wills and estate planning law, along with immigration law and notary services. It was co-founded by Sarah A…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsImmigration LawImmigration Law

Bell Baker LLP

13 lawyers · Est. 1957

Bell Baker LLP is a full-service law firm based in Ottawa, founded in 1957. The firm has about fifteen lawyers serving individuals, corporations, and institutions across the greater Eastern Ontario area, with practice…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsAdministrative & Regulatory LawAdministrative & Regulatory Law

Bennett Jones LLP

16 lawyers

Bennett Jones LLP is a national Canadian business law firm with more than a century of history, grown from a ten-lawyer prairie town office to a firm with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vanco…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionTax LawTax LawReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Bennett McIntyre Mysicka LLP is a general-practice law firm based in Carleton Place, Ontario, with a second office in Nepean, serving Lanark County, the Ottawa Valley and the Greater Ottawa area. The firm focuses on r…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Black & Associates

5 lawyers

Black & Associates is a civil litigation, employment, and public law firm based in Ottawa, serving businesses and individuals across Ottawa, Toronto, and Eastern Ontario. It handles commercial disputes, contract and s…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawAdministrative & Regulatory LawAdministrative & Regulatory LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

369 lawyers · Est. 1856

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) is a national business law firm with offices in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, New York and London. The firm has practised business law in Canada since 1856 and ru…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawBankruptcy & InsolvencyBankruptcy & Insolvency

Brazeau Seller Law

24 lawyers · Est. 1989

Brazeau Seller Law is an Ottawa business law firm founded in 1989, originally designed to serve family-owned businesses and help protect and grow their wealth. Today the firm offers corporate and commercial, real esta…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionTax LawTax Law

Brian Wilson Law

1 lawyer · Est. 2013

Brian Wilson Law is a sole-practitioner real estate law firm based in Ottawa (Gloucester). Founded by Brian Wilson, who has 24 years of experience, the firm handles residential, commercial and condominium closings, al…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Bytown Law

1 lawyer

Bytown Law is a solo family and divorce law practice in Ottawa run by Joshua Chmielewski, who also handles wills, estates and trusts, immigration, and civil litigation matters. The firm serves the greater Ottawa area,…

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsImmigration LawImmigration LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Carman Feng Law

2 lawyers

Carman Feng Law is a Professional Corporation in Ottawa with a primary focus on civil litigation, along with family law, real estate law, and trusts and estates. The firm's two lawyers, Carman Feng and Mylene Feng, ar…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Carters Professional Corporation

17 lawyers · Est. 2001

Carters is a law firm established in 2001 that focuses on charity and not-for-profit law, with offices in Orangeville, Ottawa, and Toronto. It also serves individuals, corporations, and businesses across litigation, r…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionIntellectual PropertyIntellectual PropertyEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour Law

Cassidy Levy Kent (Canada) LLP is an international trade law firm with an office in Ottawa, alongside affiliated offices in Washington, D.C. and Brussels. The firm practises in trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervai…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution