Small Claims Forms are the necessary documentation for filing and pursuing a small claims court case. Small claims court cases take place between two individuals attempting to resolve a private dispute. There are no lawyers involved and the individuals represent themselves in front of a judge.
Consider a Small Claims Form
Small claims cases broadly refer to a case where the awarded payout can be no more than $10,000, though individual courts may vary on this amount. Because the possible payout is limited, small claims cases tend not to involve lawyers because the legal fees required to afford a lawyer are often not worth the financial gain.
The state of California between 2015 to 2016 had a total of 158,347 small claims cases filed. Of these filed cases, 87,549 cases went to court and had a 95% rate. This demonstrates the effectiveness of a small claims case in relation to money awarded as well as why a small claims case can be preferable to a full lawsuit.
Additionally, in certain cases, the filing of the small claims case results in a resolution between the two concerned parties. Many individuals consider that avoiding the time spent in court is worth what they would pay to resolve the dispute. Other individuals weigh their chances of being the losing party and decide to resolve the dispute outside of court.
For example, if a tenant leaves their apartment after the ending of their lease agreement, they are entitled to receive their security deposit back. The landlord might refuse to return the security deposit if the apartment’s condition violated the agreement between the tenant and landlord. In small claims court, the tenant would provide evidence that demonstrated they had not violated the lease agreement, while the landlord would attempt to provide evidence that the tenant did.
If you are unsure if you qualify for a small claims case or need assistance in starting your Small Claims Forms, contact us today.