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What is a Small Claims Court?

In Colorado, the small claims court can handle only certain kinds of claims. Generally, these are simple cases to recover money or property, perform a contract, set aside a contract or comply with restrictive covenants. The court can't award more than $7,500 plus court costs and interest. More

Filing a Small Claims Suit

Before you file a small claims suit make sure that you have some proof of the debt such as a receipt, note, bill of sale, warranty or witness. To start a small claim, you must file a complaint form. The amount of the claim may not exceed $7,500. More

Small Claims Trials

The plaintiff and the defendant need to prepare for trial and should bring all witnesses and necessary papers to court. After both parties have presented their witnesses, testimony and evidence, the magistrate will make a decision, called a judgment. More

Witnesses at a Small Claims Trial

Witnesses are people who come to court to tell what they have seen or heard. These people should either be witnesses who saw what happened or experts on the subject matter of the claim involved. Whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant, you may bring witnesses to trial to support your story. More

After Small Claims Court

Generally, the judge's decision will be announced at the end of a small claims trial. The judgment will specify which side prevailed and if money damages are being awarded. The person or company that loses the lawsuit may ask the magistrate to "stay" the proceedings to allow for an appeal. More

Collecting the Judgment

The small claims process isn't necessarily over just because you won a court judgment. You may need to take action to enforce the judgment. If the judgment debtor won't pay, you can have interrogatories served, file a writ of garnishment and place a lien on real estate owned by the debtor. More

Alternatives to Small Claims Court

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a process in which a neutral person helps people resolve their case. There are many different kinds of ADR, such as mediation and arbitration. ADR is usually less formal, less expensive and less time-consuming than a trial. More