What is a Small Claims Court?

In North Dakota, small claims court is a division of district court where cases may be heard that involve recovery of money or cancellation of an agreement. The process is simple enough for a person to handle their case without an attorney. More

Filing a Small Claims Court?

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 claim affidavit in district court. The amount of the claim may not exceed $5,000. 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 judge 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're 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 small claims trial. The judgment will specify which side prevailed and if money damages are being awarded. After judgment is entered, the plaintiff becomes the judgment creditor and the defendant becomes the judgment debtor. 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