The person who files the lawsuit is the plaintiff, and the person being sued is the defendant. The plaintiff presents his or her side of the story to the judge.  Witnesses or documents supporting the claim can also be presented. The defendant is allowed to ask questions of anyone who testifies for the plaintiff. The defendant then presents his or her side of the case and it is the plaintiff's opportunity to ask questions. The judge will usually decide on a verdict at the end of the trial.

As an individual you can use Small Claims Court if your claim is for $7,500 or less. If you are an individual who owns a business (i.e. sole proprietor) and do business under a fictitious business name, you are considered to be an "individual" in Small Claims Court. For example, if you are a plumber doing business as ABC Plumbing and want to sue a customer who has not paid you, you can file a claim for up to $7,500. If your business is a corporation, partnership or anything other than a sole proprietorship, your maximum claim amount is $5,000.

Important note: a claimant can’t file more than two small claims court actions for more than $2,500 anywhere in this state during any calendar year. For example, if you file a claim for $3,000 in February of one year, and another claim for $4,000 in the following month, you can’t file another claim for more than $2,500.00 in any small claims court until January 1 of the next calendar year. However, you can still file as many claims as you wish for $2,500 or less.