Civil Matters & Small Claims

• What do I have to do to file a lawsuit in Magistrate Court?
• What kinds of cases does the Magistrate Court handle?
• Are there certain kinds of cases that I cannot file in Magistrate Court?
• How much does it cost to file a lawsuit?
• Can I reduce my claim to $15,000 and file it in Magistrate Court?
• What does service involve?
• Will the Court find the defendant for me?
• Do I have to have an attorney in Magistrate Court?
• How do I decide where I should file my claim?
• If I file my case in this court in error, will I get a refund of the fees that I paid?
• I have been served with a complaint. What do I have to do now?
• May I send my answer in the mail?
• Will the Court send a copy of my Answer to the plaintiff?
• Is there a fee to file an answer?
• If I have a claim against the plaintiff may I include it with my answer?
• The thirty (30) day period for the filing of answer has expired. What happens now?
• When the defendant files an answer, what happens next?
• May I re-schedule a court date?
• How do I issue a subpoena to require the attendance of witnesses or to get certain documents to the Court?
• What will happen in court when my case is heard?
• The defendant was served, but has not filed an answer. How do I get a default judgment?
• I have a judgment against the defendant, what do I do to collect on it?
• Does the Court report judgments to credit reporting agencies like Equifax and Trans Union?