The steps
- Send a demand letter asking for payment by a deadline. Use our sister site’s free demand letter template.
- Check the limit: each state sets a maximum claim amount.
- File with the court where the defendant lives or the dispute happened, and pay the filing fee.
- Serve the other party according to court rules.
- Prepare evidence: contracts, photos, receipts, messages and witnesses.
- Present your case briefly and calmly.
- Collect: winning doesn’t guarantee payment; courts have collection procedures.
Tips for your hearing
- Bring three copies of every document: for you, the judge and the other side.
- Write a one-page timeline of what happened.
- Ask for the amount you can prove: receipts, estimates and invoices carry more weight than estimates from memory.
- If the other side doesn’t show up, you may win by default, but you still need to prove your damages.
When to get a lawyer
If the amount is above the small claims limit, the case is complex, or the other side is a business with lawyers, consider a consultation.
