We File San Diego Small Claims Court Lawsuits

• 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.

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:

1. 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.

2. 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 to the court for you.

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!

Of course!

We help you:

1. determine if you qualify for a waiver of your court fees, and

2. 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.

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 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.

2. 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.

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. 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.

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 California 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 California.

In California, you are only allowed to represent yourself at the small claims hearing. We will provide you with everything you need to be prepared, including a judge-friendly evidence presentation.

The California legislature determined that not allowing lawyers in small claims court would level the playing field for individuals and businesses without the money to hire lawyers.

If you sue a company, the company is not allowed to have a lawyer represent them.

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 be able to schedule calls with our team.

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

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.