Before You File - Small Claims Coach

Illustration of a person at a courtroom table with a folder, presenting their own case

Before You File

What Does Pro Se Mean? A Plain-English Guide for Small Claims

Saw "pro se" on a court paper? It means handling your own case without a lawyer. Here's the plain-English meaning and what it looks like in small claims.

Dark blue cover titled How Much Does It Cost to Sue?, with an illustrated receipt, an envelope and gold coins.

Before You File

How Much Does It Cost to Sue in Small Claims Court? (2026)

Filing fees, serving papers and a few possible extras: what small claims court costs, state by state, and how to plan for it.

Dark blue cover titled Small Claims Limits by State: 2026, with a small US map shaded in blues and orange stripes.

Before You File

Maximum Amount for Small Claims by State: 2026 Limits Table

Every state sets its own small claims limit. Here's the list, what counts toward it, and what to do if your claim is bigger.

Cover illustration of a phone map full of pins with a dotted line to one courthouse with a check mark, with the words Find Your Exact Court First

Before You File

Small Claims Court Near Me: How to Find Your Exact Court First

A map pin isn't a court. Here's a calm, step-by-step way to find the exact small claims court for your case before you file anything.

Illustrated coach's clipboard holding an AI chat printout stamped Check it and labelled Example, not real, beside the title Using AI Safely in Small Claims.

Before You File

Using AI Safely for Small Claims: Fake Citations, Court AI Rules, and Your Evidence

AI can speed up small claims prep. It can also invent cases, miss your court's rules, and tempt you to touch your evidence. Here's how to use it safely.

Balance scale tipping toward a stack of cash and coins, away from a wrench and fence boards, with the words Money only? What courts can order

Before You File

Can Small Claims Court Make Someone Do Something? What Judges Can Actually Order

Small claims court mostly awards money. When a judge can order property returned or a deal undone, why it varies by state, and how to frame your claim.

Illustration of a handshake over a signed agreement with the words Settling Isn't Losing

Before You File

Settling a Small Claims Case: Agreements, Stipulated Judgments and Payment Plans

Settling isn't losing. It trades some of your claim for certainty, without the risk of a hearing. Here's how settlement negotiation, stipulated judgments, releases and payment plans work.

Illustration of a claim form with the words The name on the sign isn't always the legal name, on a navy background with the Small Claims Coach shield

Before You File

How to Fill Out and File a Small Claims Form (With a Worked Example)

What to know before you fill out a small claims form: the exact legal name, the amount, where to file, fees and fee waivers, plus a fictional worked example.

Illustration of an envelope with the words Filed? The other side still has to be told, on a navy background with the Small Claims Coach shield

Before You File

How to Serve Small Claims Papers (and What to Do If Service Fails)

Filed your small claim? Next the other side must be served. Who can serve, common methods, proof of service, serving a business, and what to do if service fails.

How to tell your story in a small claims complaint statement

Before You File

How to Tell Your Story on a Small Claims Form: Who, What, When, How Much, and Why

The space on the form is small for a reason. Here's how to tell your story in a few clear sentences: who, what, when, how much, and why they owe it.

How much can I sue for in small claims court: estimating damages that count

Before You File

How Much Can I Sue For in Small Claims? What's Recoverable and What's Not

The number that matters isn't how much it hurt. It's how much you can show it cost you. Here's how to build a number you can stand behind.

Illustration of a phone photographing a wall stain next to a tape measure with the words Photos That Prove It

Before You File

How to Take Photos and Video as Evidence for Small Claims Court

A photo can be your strongest evidence or almost useless. The difference is whether someone who wasn't there can tell what, where, how big and when.