Florida · Court-readiness

Starting a small-claims case (Florida)

You want to sue someone for money up to the small-claims limit (for example, an unpaid debt, a security deposit, or property damage). Small claims is designed to be usable without a lawyer. This gets you organized to file and points you to the official form and free help.

This is self-help legal information to help you get organized and meet deadlines — not legal advice, and not a filing service. LegalDraft does not file anything for you and is not your lawyer. Confirm every deadline and requirement with the court, and speak with a licensed attorney or legal-aid office before you rely on any of it.

Which court

The county court in the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute happened. Confirm venue with the clerk.

Official forms & resources

Statement of Claim (Small Claims)The complaint that starts a small-claims case (disputes up to the small-claims limit). Obtain the current form from the clerk of court in the county where you file.
Florida Courts Self-Help CenterThe statewide starting point for court forms and self-represented-litigant resources.

Always download the current version from the official source — forms change over time.

Deadlines to verify — do this today

⚠ Claims have a statute of limitations — confirm your claim is still timely with a licensed attorney or legal aid.
⚠ A pretrial conference date will be set — put it on your calendar and do not miss it.

Your checklist

10 items

Filing checklist

Serving the other side

Documents to gather

Free and low-cost legal help

You do not have to do this alone. These are real, free starting points — many people qualify for legal aid.

Florida Courts Self-Help Centeryour stateThe statewide starting point for court forms and self-represented-litigant help.
Florida Law Helpyour stateFind your local Florida legal-aid organization and free resources by county.
The Florida Bar — Lawyer Referral Serviceyour stateReferral to a lawyer for an initial consultation, and pointers to legal-aid programs.
LawHelp.orgFind free legal aid programs and self-help resources in your state and county.
Legal Services Corporation — Find Legal AidThe national directory of LSC-funded legal-aid organizations by location.
American Bar Association — Free Legal HelpABA directory of free and low-cost legal help and pro-bono programs.