Getting Started in Small Claims Court: Professional Representation and Proper Documents per Forms and Rules

Question: How can I effectively start a lawsuit in Small Claims Court?

Answer:   To start a lawsuit in Small Claims Court, you need to prepare and issue a Plaintiff's Claim, which is known as Form 7A and is available online.  It may seem straightforward, but navigating which details to include and which to omit requires careful consideration.  Reznik Legal Services can assist you in ensuring that your claim is properly prepared, tailored to your unique situation, and compliant with the rules outlined in Rule 7 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court.  With the right legal guidance, you can avoid potential pitfalls and increase your chances of a successful resolution.

Commencing Proceedings and Retaining Legal Counsel for Small Claims Court

Getting a legal case started within the Small Claims Court involves issuance of a formal document known as a Plaintiff's Claim.  The Plaintiff's Claim document is known as a Form 7A and can be found online.  The primary parts of the form are relatively easy involving simple fill in the blanks information.  The more challenging aspect of starting a lawsuit is knowing what parts of the story to say and what parts of the story to avoid saying, or at least to avoid in the beginning.  There are many rules regarding the manner of what should be provided.  The rules on starting a Small Claims Court lawsuit, referred to formally as commencing a proceeding, are found in Rule 7 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court.

Although people may think of Small Claims Court cases as an informal legal process, and indeed there are many Small Claims Court cases that are relatively simple enough that minimal, if any, legal training is required, there are still many concerns to consider. Concerns to carefully consider include:

• What if I am countersued by the Defendant?
• What if I lose the case?
• What if I lose and the Defendant seeks costs against me?
• What if the Defendant sues another person as a 'third party'?
• What if I get a name wrong?
• What if the case becomes more complicated than originally expected?

The above questions, and many more, deserve careful review before haphazardly starting a lawsuit.  Understanding and carefully reviewing the potential complications, considerations, and consequences, before starting a lawsuit is highly important.