Page 39 - Judgment Enforcement Course

Judgment Enforcement – The Step-by-Step Course

Small Claims Courts:

All 50 states have small claims courts. These courts are
designed to help individuals and businesses resolve their disputes SMALL CLAIMS
quickly and inexpensively. No lawyers allowed. (PA is an IS A GREAT
exception.) It’s kind of like Judge Judy, but without the attitude.
PLACE START
Small claims limits are from 2.4K to 15K, depending on the
state. Even if your state’s amount is small, you can learn tons It’s simpler to deal with
there. And that’s what you first goal is – learning tons. when you start, cheaper,
more forgiving of mistakes.
When someone files a small claims case, it is usually quite And you can still make

simple. The Plaintiff pays anywhere from $40 to $75, depending good money.
on the state, and he or she can sue the Defendant for an amount
up to the limit allowed by the state. In California, small claims suits can be as high as
$10,000. In Nebraska the limit is $2,400. In Delaware it is $15,000.

HOMEWORK: YOU CAN DO IT RIGHT

NOW.
Google your closest small claims court.
Find out the following:
1. What is the dollar limit?

2. How much does it cost to start a suit?
3. What forms are right there online?
4. What are there hours?

1. Finding Judgments at your Courthouse Online

I’ll cover this more in another section, but you should know right off that more and
more courthouses have tons of cases online. Sometimes it’s just a “case summary,” also

called a “register of actions.” And sometimes they even have the actual court paperwork
online for you to view (usually with a small fee, course.).
The information might be simple, only the basics, no $ amount, no addresses, like this:

View Case Detail

Case Title: MICHAEL CANLAS PANADO VS. LAJUAN SMITH
Case Number: 37-2018-00034153-CU-HR-SC Case Location: South County
Case Type: Civil Date Filed: 07/11/2018
Category: CU-HRS Harassment

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