What Is Small Claims Court in California?
California’s small claims court offers a simplified and affordable legal pathway for resolving disputes involving money, property, or contract disagreements. Individuals can sue for up to $12,500, and businesses for up to $6,250. The process is designed to be accessible—no lawyers are allowed to represent parties, and hearings are generally scheduled quickly.
Step 1: Prepare Your Small Claims Case
To initiate your case, you’ll need to accurately complete required forms, such as the SC-100 (Plaintiff’s Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court). You must also gather evidence such as contracts, invoices, emails, photos, or any records that support your claim.
Our California Small Claims Prepare, File & Serve tool walks you through a guided interview to collect all necessary details. Once completed, the correct court forms are generated and prepared for submission.
Start preparing your small claims forms here.
Step 2: File with the Proper Court
After preparing your documents, the next step is filing them with the appropriate California Superior Court. You’ll need to file your forms in person or by mail, depending on the courthouse’s rules. Filing fees typically range from $30 to $75 based on the amount of your claim.
It’s important to file your case in the correct venue—usually in the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute took place.
To ensure your documents are ready for court submission, you can use our Small Claims Case Submission platform to securely upload your forms and get help finalizing your filing.
Submit your completed small claims forms for review and filing support.
Step 3: Serve the Defendant Lawfully
Once the court accepts your case, the defendant must be notified through proper Service of Process. This step is crucial—if the defendant isn’t served according to the law, your case may be delayed or dismissed.
Service must be done by someone who is not a party to the case, such as a professional process server. Options include personal delivery or substituted service, and a completed Proof of Service must be returned to the court.
Our California Small Claims Prepare, File & Serve tool includes access to trusted process servers across California for both Routine and Rush services.
A Smarter Way to Start Your Small Claims Case
Handling a small claims case doesn’t have to be confusing or stressful. From preparing documents to filing with the court and serving the defendant, Countrywide Process makes every step easier with our guided platforms.
Get started now through our Small Claims Case Submission page, and let us help you take the right first steps toward legal resolution.
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