Small Claims
Small claims court is built for self-representation - but showing up prepared is the difference between winning and losing.
Anyone owed money by a person or business who's willing to go to court to collect it.
Most small claims amounts are too small for an attorney to take on - this fills that exact gap.
Every state sets its own small claims limit, commonly somewhere between a few thousand and around ten thousand dollars - confirming your specific state's limit is the first step before filing.
No - small claims court is specifically designed for people to represent themselves, and many states either discourage or outright don't allow attorneys in these hearings.
Anything that documents the agreement and the money owed - contracts, invoices, receipts, messages, and photos. Organizing this clearly ahead of time matters more than legal argument in most small claims hearings.
Winning your case gets you a judgment, not automatic payment - collecting often requires separate steps like wage garnishment or a bank levy, and realistic collection odds depend heavily on whether the other side has recoverable assets or income.