What is Small Claims Court?
In Georgia, small claims cases are heard in magistrate court. Court procedures are informal and simple enough for a person to file a claim or to answer a claim without a lawyer. Claims are limited to $15,000 and jury trials are not allowed. More
Filing a Small Claims Suit
Before you file a small claims suit, consider the probable chances of winning your lawsuit since you must prove that the person or business you are suing owes you something. A small claims case begins when a statement of claim is filed in the magistrate court in the county where the defendant lives. More
Small Claims Trials
After the complaint has been filed and the defendant served, both sides need to prepare their case for court. Both the plaintiff and defendant should bring all witnesses and necessary papers to court. The trial will be scheduled 15 to 30 days after the defendant's answer to the claim is filed. 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 judge will give both parties a copy of the judgment. The judgment will specify which side prevailed and if money damages are being awarded and the amount of those damages. More
Collecting the Judgment
The small claims process isn't necessarily over just because you filed a claim, went to trial and won a court judgment. You may need to take action and spend money to enforce the judgment. The court will not collect the judgment for you. More
Alternatives to Small Claims Court
There are alternative ways to solve your legal problems outside of court. These alternatives are called alternative dispute resolution or ADR for short. All forms of ADR use a neutral person to decide a case or help both sides come to an agreement without a trial. More