You, the plaintiff, must file a “Statement of Claim” form, available at your Clerk's office. This must be fully completed and signed to receive a pre-trial conference date. If your claim is based upon written documentation, attach a copy of the contract to the Statement of Claim form. You may file by mail or in person.
A small claims action begins by filing a Statement of Claim. Small claim cases should be filed with the clerk in the appropriate county. Filing fees for small claims actions are established in the Florida Statutes and local county ordinances. The clerk of court may be able to provide information on filing fees.
How long you have to file a claim in court, notably Small Claims Court, varies depending on the topic and circumstances of the respective litigation. Chapter 95.11, Florida Statutes, explains that a person has between one and five years.
In Florida, the statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits, including car accident claims, was recently reduced from four years to two years. This means you now have only two years from the date of the accident to file your claim. For wrongful death cases, the time limit remains two years.
What is a Small Claims Court? It is a Special Court where you can sue for N5, 000,000 (Five million Naira) or less. You cannot sue for rent or possession, or for pain or suffering or to enforce a promise in a Small Claims Court.