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!
Only the judge can decide this 👩⚖️
To have a better chance at winning, it is very important your evidence is organized and you are prepared to tell your side of the story to the judge. We help you prepare for the hearing by creating an organized evidence packet for you!
Of course!
We help you:
determine if you qualify for a waiver of your court fees, and
prepare and file the court fee waiver.
We can't guarantee that the judge will approve your court fee waiver. If the judge doesn't approve your court fee waiver, you will need to pay the court between $30- $75 in filing fees.
Yes, we help you with 3 options:
(1) we hire a process server for you,
(2) we work with the sheriff (not available in all counties),
(3) we work with one of your friends to serve the lawsuit.
*Note, in some counties the court clerk can serve using certified mail but it is not recommended. Many counties have discontinued this service as it doesn't work 95% of the time.
The deadline to file your lawsuit depends on:
the type of case you have, and
the state in which you are filing your lawsuit.
These deadlines are known as the "statutes of limitations."
Here are some reasons you shouldn't wait to file your lawsuit:
Most statutes of limitations in California are set at around 2 years.
As time passes, you begin to lose your evidence.
You don't want the judge to doubt why you waited so long to file your lawsuit.
If you do something wrong during your first lawsuit and need to file your case again, the statute of limitations may have passed.
Review our guide to common statutes of limitations in California.
The hearings are normally scheduled 30-75 days after the lawsuit is filed.
Most judges decide cases within 7-14 days after the hearing.
If you are an individual or sole proprietor, you can sue for $12,500 or less.
If you are suing on behalf of a corporation or LLC, you can sue for $6,250 or less.
Your lawsuit can always be filed in the county where the person you are suing lives or where the business is located.
Here are some other examples:
- Security deposit lawsuits can be filed in the county where the unit was rented.
- Car accident lawsuits can be filed in the county where the accident occurred.
- Property damage lawsuits can be filed in the county where the damage occurred.
Without the correct address, we may not be able to serve the lawsuit later on.
How to find the other person's address:
Phone Number. Try a reverse phone number lookup. Type the phone number into a Google Search and see what you find. You can also check with "reverse phone number lookup" companies.
General Google Search. You would be surprised by what you can find on Google. Try searching their email address, old address, or previous employer. You can also check to see what you find on Linkedin (the person can be served at work) or other social media.
Hire a skip tracer. You can also hire a 3rd party to search for where the other party may have moved to but this isn’t always successful.
Most hearings are informal and last 15 minutes. Learn more here.
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 in California 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.
Our customers mainly leave reviews on Trustpilot and Google.
We are a small business, and we appreciate your feedback as it helps us improve. If you have any feedback or questions, email our team at [email protected].
Most California counties have the option for virtual hearings.
No, lawyers are not allowed at the initial small claims hearing.
Yes, small claims courts are open!
Some counties have virtual hearings and some have in person hearings.
Yes, these are called countersuits. Both lawsuits will be reviewed by the same judge on the same day.
