We are not accepting new civil litigation claims at this time. Please do not contact us with any small claims or other civil claims issues. This article is for reference only. A small claims case is litigated in county court before a county court Judge that handles a variety of legal issues. All small claims cases are factually distinct, and a large number of legal matters are decided in county court. Beginning on January 1, 2020, the state Legislature has decided that small claims jurisdictional limit Florida is now up to $8,000 exclusive of court costs, statutory interest, and attorney fees. What is the maximum amount you can sue for in small claims court in Florida? The answer is $8,000, not $8,000.01 as that causes you to enter into county civil court and not small claims court.
Small claims court lawsuits may begin with a simple Statement of Claim, or your small claims attorney in Orlando may broaden your lawsuit to include several causes of action. As mentioned earlier, because small claims cases range from car damages to civil theft, to replevin, to rental damages, to destruction of property, insurance lawsuits, and more, hiring a small claims lawyer in Osceola, Lake or Seminole County FL may assist greatly in achieving a recovery of financial or non-monetary damages from your suit. The small claims jurisdictional limit Florida is $8,000.00 which is a substantial amount of money to pursue from the defendant.
What Is The Maximum Amount You Can Sue For in Small Claims Court in Florida?
After filing your lawsuit with the small claims court, your attorney must ensure the defendant or defendants are served with a copy of your complaint/statement of claim and the summons indicating they must respond and/or attend a pretrial mediation. Pro se litigants often try to achieve service by Certified Mail, whereas many small claims lawyers prefer to serve the defendant(s) by process server.
Once you have figured out your damages and assessed the small claims jurisdictional limit Florida, consider next where to litigate your case. What is the appropriate venue? Florida Rule 7.060(a) of the Florida Small Claims Rules provides that a plaintiff may sue a defendant per the terms specified in the contract, where the loan note is signed, where the cause of action happened, or where the defendant resides or has their principal place of business. Sometimes there will be a dispute resolution clause in a contract specifying the allegedly proper venue for your lawsuit to be brought.
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