What Should Be Considered Before Starting a Small Claims Court Case?

A Small Claims Court Lawsuit Starts By Issuing a Plaintiff's Claim Document and Then Serving the Document Upon the Other Side. Once the Other Side, Being the Defendant Is Served, An Affidavit of Service Is Then Filed With the Court.


Understanding the Importance of Properly Reviewing and Preparing Before Starting a Small Claims Court Case

Lawsuit Document Getting a legal case started within the Small Claims Court involves issuance of a formal document known as a Plaintiff's Claim.  The Plaintiff's Claim document is known as a Form 7A and can be found online.  The primary parts of the form are relatively easy involving simple fill in the blanks information.  The more challenging aspect of starting a lawsuit is knowing what parts of the story to say and what parts of the story to avoid saying, or at least to avoid in the beginning.  There are many rules regarding the manner of what should be provided.  The rules of process for starting a legal case in the Small Claims Court can be found in Rule 7 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court.

Although many people think of the Small Claims Court as relatively informal, and some legal issues are simple enough that laypeople can handle a case without needing assistance from a lawyer or paralegal, there are concerns to think about.  Concerns to think carefully about include:

  • What if a counterclaim is brought against me?
  • What if I lose the lawsuit?
  • What if I lose and legal costs are awarded against me?
  • What if the Defendant includes a 'third party'?
  • What if I name someone wrong?
  • What if the case is more complicated than expected?

The above questions, and many more, deserve careful review before haphazardly starting a lawsuit.  Understanding and carefully reviewing the potential complications, considerations, and consequences, before starting a lawsuit is highly important.

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