We File New York Small Claims Lawsuits

Every New York court has a different timeline. On average, we see that small claims hearings are scheduled 30 to 60 days after the lawsuit is filed.

Here are some factors that go into whether you will win your small claims lawsuit:

1. Are you right on the law? Whether the law is on your side depends on your case type and applicable laws. As part of our process, your attorney will review your case and provide you with guidance on the laws that apply.

2. Did you follow the right procedure? We ensure that you have followed all the correct steps when navigating small claims, otherwise, your case won't proceed to be determined by a judge.

3. 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. Your attorney will also provide feedback on organizing your evidence packet.

It depends on where in New York you need to sue. In New York City, the maximum you can sue for is $10,000. Outside of New York City, the maximum ranges between $3,000 and $5,000.

By emailing [email protected] or by clicking the message button on the bottom right-hand corner of our website once you create an account.

Once you become a client, you will have access to schedule calls with our Customer Success Team. You will also have a designated Customer Success Manager who focuses on a particular step in the process (filing, serving, hearing preparation).

We pride ourselves on having the most empathetic and detail-oriented customer support team.

The deadline to file your lawsuit depends on:

1. the type of case you have, and

2. 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:

1. Most statutes of limitations in New York are set at around 2 years.

2. As time passes, you begin to lose your evidence.

3. You don't want the judge to doubt why you waited so long to file your lawsuit.

4. 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 New York.

We don't represent you at the hearing. You would be representing yourself.

We will help you prepare a judge-friendly evidence packet for the hearing and provide you with information on how to prepare for your day in court.

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.
  

Learn about how we help you with small claims court.

• 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 ensure the court files your lawsuit and keep you updated on the status.

We will send you multiple hearing date reminders by email and text message.

We will also send you case updates each step of the process so that you always know your case status and next steps. Your case status will also always be available on our case dashboard.

You will need to keep an eye out for any mail from the other party or the court and let us know if the court has changed your hearing date or if the other party has requested a change of hearing date.