Small claims court is built for everyday harms between regular people. Whether you're asking the court to make it right — or you're the one being sued — we help you walk in prepared. Lawma’s guided intake is free; the licensed attorney you choose quotes a flat fee before any work starts.
Small fights that matter
A neighbor's tree falls and crushes your fence. A friend borrows your camera and breaks it. A dry cleaner ruins a coat. A dog gets loose and bites you. These aren't the kind of fights you bring a high-priced lawyer into — they're the kind small claims court was made for.
Lawma walks you through it. We help you decide if you have a case, build the file, draft a demand letter, and show up ready. We help both sides — whoever you are in the story.
The basics
There's a money limit
Each state sets a limit on what small claims can hear. Most states fall between $2,500 and $25,000. California is $12,500 for individuals. Texas is $20,000. If your loss is bigger, you may still file in small claims, but you'll have to give up the extra.
It's built for regular people
No jury. No formal rules of evidence. Just a judge listening to both sides. In some states (like California) lawyers can't even appear at the hearing itself — it's designed to be a level playing field.
It's fast and cheap
Filing fees are usually $30–$100. Most cases get heard within a few months. You bring your evidence, you tell your story, the judge decides. Often you get a written decision a few weeks later.
Your evidence checklist
Most small claims cases are won on the strength of the file. The side with the cleaner, clearer evidence usually wins. Here are the basics:
Bring all of this if you can
A simple way to organize it
Make three copies — one for you, one for the judge, one for the other side. Put them in order. Number every page. Write a short list at the front showing what each exhibit is. Judges hear dozens of cases a day — make yours easy to follow.
Lawma can help you build this file in the app — uploads, a checklist, and a one-page summary you can hand to the judge.
Damaged goods
A friend borrows your laptop and drops it. A mover breaks your TV. A repair shop cracks your phone screen worse than it was. A roommate ruins furniture. These are damaged-goods cases.
If you're the plaintiff (you're asking the court)
What you have to show:
The practical play:
Send a polite, dated demand letter first. Say what they did, what it cost, and what you're asking for. Most cases settle before they ever get to court. If they don't respond, you have a clean trail showing you tried.
If you're the defendant (you're being sued)
What you can fight on:
The practical play:
Show up. Most defendants who lose, lose because they didn't come to court. Bring your own evidence, be respectful, and tell your side calmly. Even if you broke it, you may still beat back an unfair price.
Damaged property
A neighbor's tree falls and damages your roof. A driver backs into your parked car and drives off. A contractor leaves your yard in worse shape than they found it. These are damaged-property cases.
If you're the plaintiff
What you have to show:
The practical play:
Document everything the day it happens — photos, weather, witnesses. Call insurance first if you have it; sometimes their claim is faster. Send a demand letter before you file. Most neighbors don't want a court fight either.
If you're the defendant
What you can fight on:
The practical play:
Check if your homeowner's or renter's insurance covers it — most of these claims should run through insurance first, not court. If you're still being sued anyway, show up with your own estimates and photos.
Lost property
A friend borrows something and never gives it back. A roommate moves out and takes your stuff with them. A repair shop “loses” your item. A laundromat ruins clothes and then loses them. These are lost-property cases — technically called conversionwhen someone keeps something that isn't theirs.
If you're the plaintiff
What you have to show:
The practical play:
Ask for the item back — in writing — before you sue. A text saying “Please return my X by [date] or I'll need to file in small claims” is often enough. If they ignore it, you have your timeline ready for the judge.
If you're the defendant
What you can fight on:
The practical play:
If you do still have the item and the relationship ended badly — just give it back. A judge will not be kind to someone holding a thing that isn't theirs, even if the other person was unpleasant about it.
Dog bites
Around 4.5 million dog bites happen in the U.S. each year, and roughly 800,000 need medical care (CDC). Most are small claims cases. The law on dog bites is one of the few areas where your state's rules matter a lot — some states hold owners strictly liable, others give them “one free bite.”
If you were bitten (plaintiff)
What you can ask for:
The practical play:
See a doctor — even if it looks minor. Bites get infected. Report the bite to animal control; that creates a record. Take photos of the wound and your torn clothes. Get the owner's contact info and their homeowner's or renter's insurance information — many dog-bite claims are paid by insurance, not by the owner personally.
If you're the owner (defendant)
What you can fight on:
The practical play:
Tell your insurance the moment you're sued — many renter's and homeowner's policies cover dog-bite claims and will defend you. Be honest about the dog's history; lying about prior incidents will hurt you more than admitting them.
Strict-liability states (where the owner is liable even on a first bite) include California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and many others. One-bite states (where the owner gets one free pass if they had no reason to know) include Texas and New York, with exceptions. Your reviewing attorney will tell you what your state actually does.
How Lawma helps
In most states, small-claims court is built to be done without a lawyer in the room. So Lawma helps you everywhere up to the courtroom door.
Decide if you have a case
Tell us what happened. We'll tell you honestly whether it's worth filing, what you can ask for, and what your state's limits are.
Build the file
Upload photos, receipts, texts, and witness statements. We help you organize them into a clear, court-ready packet.
Draft a demand letter
A clear, polite, dated letter that asks for what you want and gives a deadline. Most cases settle here. If they don't, you have proof you tried.
Fill out the right forms
Every state has its own small-claims forms. We help you fill them in correctly — names, addresses, the right court, the right amount.
Walk you through what to expect
Where to go. What to bring. How long it'll take. What the judge will likely ask. How to tell your story in three minutes.
A lawyer reviewing in the background
A licensed attorney looks over your case file and your strategy before you go. They can't come into court with you in most states, but they can make sure you're ready before the door.
How pricing works
Your lawyer charges a pre-negotiated flat fee — typically $200 to $3,500, depending on complexity. Most property and dog-bite small claims fall at the low end. That single fee covers your attorney's work AND everything Lawma does.
If you qualify for legal aid, your fee is waived. Permanently.That's a Lawma commitment.
Filing a small claims case usually costs $30 to $100 at the court. If you can't afford it, every state has a fee-waiver form — we'll help you fill one out.
Everything you upload is private and protected. Only your reviewing attorney and our supervised team see it.
Related
See small claims for money disputes (unpaid debts, security deposits, refunds not given). This page focuses on property and personal disputes.
Process servers, evidence apps, and local resources for the kinds of disputes that end up in small claims. Lawma earns a small fee when you use one.
Process servers
Swift Serve
Same-day service on most family-court papers, with a certified Proof of Service handed back to your attorney.
General contractors
Bedrock Builds
Licensed, insured, bonded GCs for residential and small-commercial work. Transparent contract templates that pass Lawma's lawyer review.
Self-help tools
Claimshield
A simple mobile app that helps you organize photos, receipts, vet bills, and witness statements into a court-ready evidence packet for small claims.
Intake happens on Lawma — you never hand your details to a third-party form. Lawma earns a small referral fee when you connect with a partner; we only list services that meet our review bar, and we never run ads on your case file.
Attorney-supervised. Guided intake is free; the licensed attorney you choose quotes a flat fee before any work starts.
Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dog-bite injury surveillance (~4.5M bites/year, ~800K requiring medical attention). State small-claims limits as published by each state's court system.
