It is sometimes expensive to sue someone especially if you have to hire a lawyer to sue the person.
The primary cost of suing someone is in the cost of attorney and lawyer fees which can vary depending on how complex the lawsuit case is.
Additional costs can include court filing fees, service of process fees and other legal fees that are associated with discovery and evidence gathering.
Suing in small claims court is often cheaper although the limit to sue in small claims court is often $5,000.00
Small claims court costs around $50.00 for service fees and around $65.00 for filing fees.
In a lawsuit the person filing the lawsuit pays the court costs although if you win the case against the defendant you can sometimes recover the cost of the lawsuit from the defendant.
In small claims court the person filling the lawsuit also known as the plaintiff is who pays court costs in small claims court.
This includes the filing fees, service fees and other associated costs.
However if the plaintiff wins the case they can sometimes recover the costs from the defendant as part of the judgement.
You can claim legal costs in a small claims court.
As the prevailing party in a small claims court case you can request reimbursement for any reasonable legal costs.
These legal fees that you can claim in small claims court include costs of serving the complaint and filing fees.
Although the request for reimbursement for the legal fees in small claims court has to be made in the complaint.
Small claims court is an informal and also inexpensive way to settle minor disputes.
The prevailing party in small claims court can request reimbursement for any reasonable legal fees and costs.
As the prevailing party you can also request reimbursement for any costs that are associated with collecting the judgement.
And in small claims court the losing party only pays for attorney fees if the winning party in small claims court is specifically given the right to recover the legal fees in a contract or through state or federal law.
Things you should bring to small claims court include any exhibits, which could be any papers, legal documents, photographs, or other physical evidence supporting a claim.
Witness testimony as evidence.
Witnesses in small claims court must have first-hand knowledge of the events, or the exhibit, to which they testify.
Keep in mind that you, the Plaintiff or Defendant, may be a witness.