MAIN Home Life Home Legal Guide Small Claims

The 50 U.S. states vary in what they will allow as a small claims suit, along with how much you can sue for (usually, a maximum of $5,000), and how formal the process should be.

Typical small claims suits include breach of contract, property damage, consumer complaints, or tenant-landlord disputes. Typically, you represent yourself in small claims court, and cases tend to move quickly in informal surroundings, without the need for lawyers or juries.

Find out more about related rules and regulations where you live, along with getting up to speed on legal buzzwords & terminology, how to collect and present evidence, plus expert tips & advice on winning - or appealing - your suit in small claims court ...

Small Claims Court - Resource Center - One-stop browsing for tips & advice on gathering the right information to support your claim, plus related articles on typical small claims cases, presenting testimony & evidence, the appeal process, statutes of limitations, small claims court FAQ.

FindLaw - Lawsuits and Lawyers - Links to informative articles on what you need to know before you file a lawsuit, how to prepare your small claims case, and links to Small Claims Courts in all 50 U.S. states.

Small Claims Court Law: Free Legal Information - Extensive FAQ on general small claims questions, appropriate cases, considerations before filing, judgements, procedures.

People's Lawyer - Small Claims Court - A Texas law professor takes visitors through a step-by-step guide to resolving claims without a lawyer including a brief overview of small claims procedures, how to file a suit & prepare your case, citizens' right to appeal, plus state specific & local information.

Small Claims Court - Good introduction to small claims court procedures with a broad overview of worldwide practices as well as U.S. specific information, with links to more information by state, from Wikipedia.

Free Legal Services - Links to free or low-fee legal services & advice offered by legal aid societies, law societies or associations in all 50 U.S. states.

Small Claims FAQ, advice, procedures by state:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado

Connecticut Delaware Florida D.C. Georgia Hawaii Idaho

Iowa Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana

Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota

Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire

New Jersey New Mexico New York Nevada North Carolina

North Dakota Oklahoma Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota

Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington

West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming US Virgin Islands




also see in Legal Guide -> Consumer Protection

Class Action Lawsuits

The information provided on these pages is intended as reference
only and does not constitute professional legal advice.