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Welcome to the Superior Court of California.
This video will provide you with information about
the small claims court process. It will also provide
you with information about mediation,
which may help you to resolve your small claims
dispute without a trial.
Small claims courts deal with many types of cases
involving $7,500 or less.
For example, you can have a small claims case about
damage to property, security deposits,
or disputes about payment for services provided.
Small claims court is less formal,
less time consuming and less expensive than regular civil court.
Lawyers are not allowed to represent the parties
in small claims court, so the people in the case
talk to the judge directly.
Each side explains their case,
and brings proof and witnesses to back it up.
Then the judge applies the law to the facts,
and makes a decision based on the law.
This video will give you a brief overview
of the process of filing a
small claims case and going to court.
It will also give you information on the
Small Claims Legal Advisor,
a service in every county to help you
with your small claims case.
Once you understand what is involved
in going to small claims court,
you will learn about mediation,
which is an alternative to having a
judge decide your case.
Mediation can often be a very good choice
for people who have a small claims dispute,
and this video will explain why mediation
may be right for you.
Let's first talk about what a
small claims case is like.