Small Claims Court Basics

Be brief and succinct when explaining your case. Answer all of the questions the judge may pose. Be prepared to explain the amount of money you are claiming. Don't get into

If you win, you should ask the judge to award you your court costs and any other costs reasonably incurred in bringing the action.

Appealing a small claims court decision. Appealing a small claims court decision is limited for both plaintiffs and defendants. In many states, only the party who was sued can appeal. In some states, a decision may only be appealed if there was a mistake of law, not a mistake on the facts of the case. Also, there is typically a very short time within which to appeal a small claims court decision, generally ranging from 10 to 30 days after the decision was rendered.

A party may be represented by an attorney on appeal of a small claims court decision. The reason an attorney is allowed on appeal is that appeals from small claims court decisions are heard in formal court. And although attorneys are allowed for small claims court appeals, the court proceedings remain informal, as with the small claims court trial itself. It will be up to you whether you decide to hire an attorney for an appeal. For a more detailed discussion, see Appealing a Small Claims Court Decision at AllBusiness.com.