What happens if I don't serve my statement of claim within the required time in Ontario?

An Ontario statement of claim generally has to be served within a set period after it's issued by the court, and missing that window doesn't automatically kill the case, but it does create a real problem. If the deadline passes without service and without an extension, the claim can become subject to being dismissed for delay, since the court and the defendant are entitled to expect a lawsuit to actually move forward once it's started rather than sitting unserved indefinitely. A plaintiff who realizes they're going to miss the deadline can ask the court for an extension before it expires, which is generally more straightforward than trying to fix the problem afterward.

If the deadline has already passed, it may still be possible to get an extension or have the claim reinstated, but this typically requires explaining the delay and showing the case has genuine merit and hasn't caused unfair prejudice to the proposed defendant. Separately, if the underlying limitation period for the claim itself is getting close to expiring, delay in serving the claim can create additional risk beyond the court's own service deadline, since the two issues are related but not identical. Acting well before any deadline, rather than waiting until the last moment, avoids most of this risk entirely.