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Getting Started in Small Claims Court: Professional Representation and Proper Documents per Forms and Rules
Question: What should I consider before commencing a Small Claims Court lawsuit?
Answer: It is essential to carefully evaluate potential complications and outcomes, such as countersuits, costs, and possible errors, before proceeding with a lawsuit. Sharda Sankar Bickramsingh, Licensed Paralegal & Notary Public, can help navigate these complexities to ensure you understand the legal landscape and make informed decisions.
Commencing Proceedings and Retaining Legal Counsel for Small Claims Court
Starting a lawsuit in Small Claims Court requires the preparation of, and issuance of, a Plaintiff's Claim document. The Plaintiff's Claim is a form, known as Form 7A, and is available 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 prescribed rules for the requirements when beginning a Small Claims Court lawsuit are available for review at Rule 7 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court.
Although the Small Claims Court is, generally, thought of as a court with relatively informal processes that are simple enough for people to do without assistance from a lawyer or paralegal, there are many potential pitfalls as issues to think about. Issues to think about include, among other things:
- What if a counterclaim is brought against me?
- What if I lose the lawsuit?
- What if I lose and legal costs are awarded against me?
- What if the Defendant includes a 'third party'?
- What if I name someone wrong?
- What if the case is more complicated than expected?
The above questions, and many more, deserve careful review before haphazardly starting a lawsuit. Diligent review of these questions and the potential pitfalls are highly important before getting started.
