Small claims court is way more useful than people give it credit for

I keep seeing posts on here saying small claims court is a waste of time for anything under $2,000. I disagree completely. I took a landlord to small claims over a $950 security deposit back in March. Did it take a morning off work? Yes. Was it annoying filling out the forms? Sure. But I won and got my money plus court costs. The process was straightforward at the Daley Center. Has anyone else actually had a good experience with small claims or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny_lane1222h ago

@emmaking I get what you're saying about getting lost in the paperwork, but I think the real value in small claims court is the fear factor. Landlords and businesses know they can't afford a lawyer for a $950 case, so they often fold when you show up with actual evidence. You mentioned the Daley Center, which is a good point too - the clerks there are usually pretty helpful if you just ask. The process is designed for regular people, not lawyers, and a lot of folks give up before they even try.

jordan_hill1d ago

Did you have a lawyer or go in on your own?

emmaking23h ago

Nah, lawyer all the way. Tried going solo on a small claims thing once and got completely lost in the paperwork. You don't realize how much you need someone who knows what they're doing until you're staring at a form you don't understand.