We have your back with Small Claims Court
Everything you need for your Best-Case Scenario.
People Clerk is Now Part of JusticeDirect
We have joined together to help you navigate demand letters and small claims court. It's the same great team helping you get justice.
Why JusticeDirect?
Avoid Mistakes
Understand how much you can sue for, and the pros and cons of suing, so you know you’re making the right choice.
Save Time
Receive completed court forms, and step-by-step instructions to file & serve your case – all without having to navigate complicated court websites.
Understand Expectations
Know what to do before, during, and after your Small Claims hearing. Be fully prepared so you can convince the Judge at your court hearing.
How JusticeDirect Works
Lawsuit Preparation
Once you've completed our intake and uploaded your evidence, we'll prepare your lawsuit documents. We'll send your lawsuit to you for review, and once you give us the green light, we'll send the lawsuit to you for signing.
Lawsuit Filing
We pride ourselves on knowing how to navigate different court filing processes.
If your court has electronic filing, we will file the lawsuit for you.
If your court doesn't have electronic filing (or has a faulty system for electronic filing), we'll send you a comprehensive packet that contains everything you need to file the lawsuit by mail, so you won't have to worry about printing, visiting the post office, or heading to the court in person to file the lawsuit.
We will make sure the court files your lawsuit and we'll keep you updated on the status.
Serving the Other Party
After your lawsuit is filed, the next step is to let the other party know that they have been sued. This is called serving.
We currently have two serving options:
Process Server. We will hire a process server to serve the other party. Process servers charge $85. If the process server isn't able to serve, we will let you know and provide you with options on how to proceed.
Friend. We will ship a packet directly to a friend or family member of your choice with detailed step-by-step serving instructions. This option is included in our pricing. The friend or family that you select needs to be over 18 years old and cannot be involved with what happened in your case.
We will also file the Proof of Service with the court for you.
Why we are #1 Small Claims Assistance Service:
Thanks to this website and the amazing team behind it, I am able to solve most of legality issues for my business.
PAA
August 15, 2024
Justice Direct and People Clerk did an excellent job of helping me organize and file my small claims case. They went the full route finding that my defendant was actually a branch of a national LLC. I may have had trouble collecting if they had gone the extra mile in researching that. Their help in completing the paperwork and arranging for service of process saved me hours of effort. Outstanding organization!
Lowell R.
August 8, 2024
I felt supported from Start to finish. All of my questions were answered in a timely manner and explained in easily to understand verbiage. I now wait for my court date to arrive! Thank you for taking the stress off of my shoulders to get my small claims case filed correctly!
Suzanne
July 26, 2024
FAQs
We are not a lawyer or a law firm, and we cannot provide you with legal advice.
We do have an add-on where you can have a California lawyer review your lawsuit and evidence.
We are a technology company made up of lawyers, legal professionals, and engineers. Together, we built the JusticeDirect technology to help you affordably and confidently navigate your small claims lawsuit. Our goal is to provide you with all the tools and support to help you get justice.
Fun fact: Lawyers are not allowed to represent clients in California small claims court at the initial small claims hearing. If you need a lawyer, we can help connect you with one!
Here are some factors that go into whether you will win your small claims lawsuit:
Are you right on the law? Whether the law is on your side depends on the type of case you have and the laws that apply. If you have doubts about your case, you can add our optional add-on, where an independent attorney can review your lawsuit and evidence and answer up to 3 questions in writing (currently only available for California cases). We also have hundreds of free legal information articles available on JusticeDirect Academy.
Did you follow the right procedure? This is where we excel. We ensure that you have followed all the correct steps so that you get your day in court and attend your hearing prepared.
Did you organize your evidence? As part of our process, you will upload all your evidence, and our software will help you organize it into a judge-friendly evidence packet. We will also provide you with evidence checklists for common types of cases.
The hearings are normally scheduled 30-75 days after the lawsuit is filed.
Most judges decide cases within 7-14 days after the hearing.
So long as there isn't another court that is more specific to your lawsuit (for example, eviction court), then the lawsuit can be filed in small claims.
The most common types of small claims lawsuits are:
Security Deposit. Your landlord did not return your security deposit.
Rent. Your tenant or roommate didn't pay the rent.
Loan. You loaned someone money and they didn't pay you back.
Car Accident. Someone hit your car while driving and now you have to pay for the repair work.
Mechanic. You hired a mechanic to repair your car and they did a terrible job.
Contractors. You hired a contractor to perform work at your home and they did a terrible job.
Neighbor. Your neighbor damaged your property.
Contracts. You had a contract with someone and they broke the contract.
Damage to Property. Someone damaged your property (e.g. house, car, bicycle).
Goods. You bought an item and didn't receive it or you sold an item and didn't get paid for it.
Insurance Companies. Your insurance company didn't pay you for a claim they should have paid you for.
Services. You paid for a service and didn't receive it or you provided a service and didn't get paid.
Personal Injury. Someone caused you to get hurt.
