Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court

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Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court

by: Ralph Warner, Chairman, CEO, Co-founder

Everybody's Guide to Small Claims Court

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If your only court experience is watching Judge Judy, then you’re going to be in for a big surprise if you ever take a real case to a real small claims court. In an actual courtroom, you won’t get your 15 minutes of fame, much less a judge who takes a keen interest in you and offers extended commentary on your maturity, responsibility, or decency. Instead, you’ll get five minutes to present your case.

You’d better be ready.

Preparing for your day in court is the key to winning. Whether you’re suing over a sweater the dry cleaner ruined or defending yourself against a claim that you owe money for faulty car repairs, you need to have everything ready before you walk through the courthouse door. Witnesses, bills, receipts, letters—if you’re not organized, you’re going to be out of luck.

For easy-to-read guidance on how to prepare a winning case, turn to this free online edition of Everybody’s Guide to Small Claims Court. It was written by Ralph Warner, a cofounder of Nolo who spent many days in court during his years practicing law. You can browse the text of any chapter for free, using the table of contents to the left. If you want to buy a copy (print or eBook), just visit our store.

Good luck!

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