Legal disclaimer

We are not a law firm

File My Small Claims is not a law firm, is not a lawyer referral service, and does not provide legal advice, legal opinions or legal representation. No attorney reviews your case, no attorney is assigned to you, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using this site, buying anything on it, or corresponding with us.

What we actually do

We provide self-help software. You supply the facts, you choose what to do, and we generate documents from the information you type and present general published information about California civil procedure. We are the equivalent of a well-organized typewriter and a good reference book, not a representative.

You are representing yourself. In California small claims that is the normal and expected position — attorneys are not permitted to represent either party at the hearing.

General information, not advice about your situation

Everything on this site is general information about how California small claims court works. It is not advice about your dispute, and it cannot be, because we do not know your facts, we have not reviewed your documents, and we are not qualified to assess them.

In particular, nothing here is a prediction or promise about any outcome. We do not and cannot tell you that you will win, that you will collect, how much you will recover, or how long it will take.

Accuracy and currency

We work hard to state California law correctly and we cite the statutes so you can check us. Law changes, courts change their local procedures, forms get revised, and fees are adjusted. Information on this site may be out of date by the time you read it. Always confirm current requirements with the court you are filing in, or with a licensed California attorney.

Court forms referenced on this site are free public documents published by the Judicial Council of California. We link to the official PDFs. We do not own them and we do not sell them.

When to get a lawyer instead

Please speak to a licensed California attorney if your claim involves serious personal injury, is worth materially more than $12,500, turns on a disputed question of law, involves a business dispute with significant consequences, or if you simply want someone to advise you. Your county court's self-help center is also free, staffed, and genuinely useful.

For unpaid wages, the California Labor Commissioner is free, has no dollar limit and investigates on your behalf. That is usually a better route than small claims and we say so throughout this site.

Jurisdiction

This service covers California only. Nothing here should be relied on for a dispute in any other state, whose limits, deadlines, forms and procedures are different.