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Try to settle the dispute outside of court. ... Contact the county clerk in the small claims court district closest to the residence or business of the person you are suing. ... Fill out a complaint form, otherwise known as a "Statement of Claim" at the clerk's office, and pay the filing fee.

How Does Small Claims Court Work? Small claims court claims are brought upon a party by filing a claim at the local courthouse. The filing will require the name of the defendant, a description of the incident, any proof that exists, and other pertinent information demanded by your respective court.

How long does it take for a small claims court case to be resolved? From when you file with the clerk, it takes about sixty days until your court date. You'll know right away, since the date is on the paperwork. You can probably even ask the clerk to aim at a date that works better for you.

Although small claims courts can hear most types of civil cases, such as contract disputes and personal injury claims, most courts do not hear family law cases, such as those involving child support, or probate cases.

If you do not go to a small claims hearing, the creditor will win automatically by default . The plaintiff will get a judgment for the amount of money they asked for in the complaint. You can get a copy of the judgment from the court. ... Your credit report will show you owe this money for the next 7 years.

Try to settle the dispute outside of court. ... Contact the county clerk in the small claims court district closest to the residence or business of the person you are suing. ... Fill out a complaint form, otherwise known as a "Statement of Claim" at the clerk's office, and pay the filing fee.

If someone owes you money and won't pay up, you might consider filing a lawsuit to have a judge order them to pay it. ... Beyond that, a court's order only gives you the legal right to get the money from the other person. The court won't collect the money for you.

Understand the Dynamics. The person who owes you money has broken his/her word. ... Remind Them About the Debt. ... Send a Letter. ... If All Else Fails, Get Your Lawyer to Write a Letter. ... 5. Make Sure the Lawyer's Letter Goes Out. ... Go to Court. ... BONUS TIP.

Unfortunately, there is no good answer if someone has little income and few assets, they are effectively judgment proof and even if you win against them in court, you effectively lose: you spent the time and money to sue and receive nothing in return. ... First, you don't have to sue the person immediately.

Even if you do not have the money to pay the debt, always go to court when you are told to go. A creditor or debt collector can win a lawsuit against you even if you are penniless. ... the creditor has won the lawsuit and. you still owe that sum of money to that person or company.

That's why most small claims cases are local. However, sometimes you may need to file a small claims lawsuit against a defendant who lives in another state. ... If that person never comes to the state, you may not be able to sue them in small claims court.

However, sometimes you may need to file a small claims lawsuit against a defendant who lives in another state. Not every jurisdiction will allow you to sue an out-of-state defendant in small claims court. ... If that person never comes to the state, you may not be able to sue them in small claims court.

If you are suing someone from a different state, a court in your state may not have power or "jurisdiction" over that person. In that case, you might have to sue the defendant in his or her location, which will probably be more expensive and inconvenient for you. 9.

Yes, you can sue someone without knowing their address or full name. However, you will have to properly serve them with the complaint and summons of your lawsuit and this will obviously be very difficult.

Citizenship is not a requirement to sue or be sued in either the federal courts of the United States or the courts of any US state. ... Again, citizenship is not required. For the most part, the nationality of the parties to a lawsuit in a US court is irrelevant; residency (where the person resides) is far more important.