Purpose of Small Claims Court
When most people think of court, they think of large criminal trials with lots of high drama. However, small claims proceedings are geared toward the average citizen that has a legal matter to settle regarding a smaller sum of money with another individual or business.
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Identification
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Small claims court is a segment of the legal system that allows people with simple court cases to navigate the court system quickly and effectively. In most instances, plaintiffs represent themselves and a decision is rendered fairly swiftly, allowing for judgments to move through without much bureaucratic red tape.
Types
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Types of small claims court cases include written and oral contract disputes, monetary conflicts (such as bad checks), property damage (such as through a rental agreement) and additional landlord-tenant issues, like security deposit returns and lease breaches.
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Process
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Each side in the dispute must prepare a legal argument as to what happened in the matter at hand. A judge will listen to both sides, consider any evidence and then make a ruling based on all information. The ruling is legally binding and both parties must follow through on the judge's orders.
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