What Is Small Claims Court?
In Florida, small claims courts resolve disputes involving claims for small debts and accounts. Any individual or business may bring a small claims suit for the recovery of money when the amount requested is $5,000 or less. Court procedures are simple, inexpensive, quick and informal. More
Filing a Small Claims Suit
You need to obtain and fill out the necessary forms, usually consisting of a statement of claim and a notice or service of process which requires the parties to appear at a specified pretrial conference. Small claims cases are filed with the clerk of court in the appropriate county. More
Small Claims Trials
In Florida, you must attend a pretrial hearing before your trial. You will need to go to trial only if an agreement doesn't occur during the pretrial hearing. If there is a trial, the plaintiff and defendant must appear at the trial with all witnesses and documentation. More
Witnesses at a Small Claims Trial
Witnesses are people who come to court to tell what they've seen or heard. Whether you're the plaintiff or the defendant, you may bring witnesses to your trial to support your story but you may not bring them to the pretrial hearing. More
After Small Claims Court
Witnesses are people who come to court to tell what they've seen or heard. Whether you're the plaintiff or the defendant, you may bring witnesses to your trial to support your story but you may not bring them to the pretrial hearing. More
Collecting the Judgment
If you win your lawsuit but the defendant doesn't pay you, there are options available to you for collecting the money owed. You may try to garnish the defendant's wages, create a lien against any real estate the defendant owns or have a sheriff seize property and sell it to pay you your judgment. More
Alternatives to Small Claims Court
Mediation is an alternative to small claims court. Mediation is a process in which two or more people involved in a dispute meet in a private setting and, with the help of a neutral person called the mediator, work out a solution to their problem. It is an informal and non-adversarial process. More