Small claims court is a special division court that is used to settle disputes quickly, inexpensively, and without the need for a lawyer. In most jurisdictions, small claims courts restrict their dockets to only include claims of less than $10,000. Additionally, claims can only be made for money. This means that the judge can only make a monetary judgement, and . There cannot be other orders such as “returning” something or forcing someone to do something.

The parties who are suing or being sued will represent themselves in court. This type of hearing is referred to as a pro se or “in proper person.” Attorneys are allowed in a small claims court proceeding. However, if a person wins, they cannot collect court fees. So if you decide to hire an attorney, you will have to pay out of pocket for fees. This rarely happens because small claims courts are comparably informal and more laid back than larger-scale criminal or civil courts.

The first point to remember when...