Get Started

If you are filing a claim, you are the plaintiff. The party you are filing against is the defendant. To get started you should contact the Court Administration Office in the county where you are filing the claim. Claim forms are available from the Court Administrator on request.

You must have the following information when filing a claim:

• Amount of your claim and the reason for the claim
• The date your claim arose
• Your name and address and the name and address of the defendant (the home address if the defendant is an individual)

The individual filing the claim will be required to verify (swear to and sign) the claim and pay the required filing fee. If you win in court, the defendant may be required to pay the filing fee amount back to you.

Where To File

You must file in the county where the defendant lives. You can seek recovery for bad checks in the county where the check was issued, and you can claim for a security deposit on rental property in the county where the rental unit was located.

After You File

The Court Administrator will mail notice to you and the defendant of the date your claim will be heard by the Courts. The time from filing to the actual hearing may be from two to six weeks.

Many claims are settled once notice is received. It is your obligation to notify the Court Administrator if you and the defendant have settled your claim.