Go to Small Claims Court Prepared to Win
Winning lawyers go to court with a trial presentation. You can too! With step-by-step guidance, build your JusticeDirect Trial Presentation™ and learn how to win in Small Claims Court.
Go to Small Claims Court Prepared to Win!
Be Ready
Get detailed court info and to-dos, so you know exactly what to do before, during, and after your small claims court hearing.
Be Organized
Include all your important facts and evidence so the Judge can easily understand your story during the hearing.
Be Convincing
Present your story clearly and succinctly with supporting evidence. Have everything you need to effectively respond to the judge’s questions.
It's as Easy as
Learn
Understand how much you can sue for, what a Judge would look for, and identify relevant facts so you can build a complete case from the start.
Build
With a guided process, get completed Small Claims Court forms with file and serve instructions.
Create a court statement, build your timeline, and upload important evidence to complete your case.
Present
Receive your completed JD Trial Presentation™ along with how-to instructions for your day in court.
Print and bring to your Small Claims hearing so you can effectively present your case and convince the Judge.
Pricing
JD Trial Presentation™
$49.50
Free preview before you pay
START NOWGuided Legal Education
JusticeDirect Trial Presentation™:
Organize Your Evidence
Table of Contents + Pagination
Create an Opening Statement
Create a Detailed Case Timeline
Calculate Money Owed
Calculate Costs
After Court Hearing To-Dos
Go to Court Prepared
Priority Email Support
Scheduled Phone Support
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
Winning lawyers use trial presentations. So can you.
Court hearings are typically only 15-30 minutes. To win in Small Claims Court, you must effectively and efficiently present your case within that time.
A strong trial presentation includes several key components to help you win in small claims court:
(1) An opening statement to summarize your case;
(2) A comprehensive timeline to support your case;
(3) All your key evidence;
(4) Supporting documentation to recover costs and show that you followed all the necessary court procedures.
Review Small Claims Court Filing if you haven’t filed your case yet.
FAQs
Being well-prepared for your Small Claims hearing will increase your chances of winning. The JD Trial Presentation™ will help you organize your evidence, create a timeline, and write an opening statement.
With limited time (15-30 minutes) to present your case to the Judge, you will want to be effective and efficient with your answers. During this time, both parties will be questioned, so you will want to have references on hand to quickly answer those questions without any delays or hesitation.
The most important thing to bring is evidence that will help prove your story. The JD Trial Presentation™ will help you organize all your evidence in a chronological timeline with page number references so the Judge can easily find what is needed.
If you can’t attend your hearing and you don't notify the court, the court will close your case. To request permission to reschedule your hearing, you will need to complete form SC-150 (Request to Postpone Trial).
If the Defendant doesn’t show up to the hearing, you may still have to present the case to the judge before you are awarded a judgment.
You may receive a “default” judgment against the Defendant. The Defendant may choose to “cancel” or “vacate” this default judgment if they had a valid reason for not being able to attend.
The result after your hearing is commonly referred to as a judgment. It typically takes 3-7 business days after the hearing to receive the judgment in the mail, but it can take up to 90 days for more complicated cases.
In some cases, you may receive your judgment on the day of your hearing.
If you win: as the Plaintiff, winning your court case means the other party owes you money. The judgment will include information on the next steps, including how to collect that money from the other party.
If you lose: as the Plaintiff, losing your court case means the other party doesn’t owe you money and unfortunately, you won’t be able to appeal.
Want to learn more about Small Claims Court?
Serving the Defendant in Small Claims Court
Prepare for Your Small Claims Hearing
Additional Educational Resources
Filing a Small Claims Court Case in California
