Get Travis County Small Claims Court

Deadline for Filing a Small Claims Case in Texas Under Texas state law, there are limits (called statute of limitations) on the amount of time you have to bring a lawsuit. The statute of limitations for most cases in Texas is either two or four years, depending on the type of case.

Step 1 You should give notice to the Defendant. Step 2 Determine in which Justice of the Peace Precinct it is appropriate to file your claim. Step 3 Obtain a Petition from the appropriate Precinct. Step 4 Fill out the Petition. Step 5 File the Petition. Step 6 Defendant is served.

When you file your petition, you will have to pay a filing fee. The filing fees vary among counties, but generally are under a hundred dollars. For example, Dallas County charges filing fees of $31. In addition to that filing fee, you must pay a service fee of $75 for each defendant you're suing.

Are attorneys allowed in small claims court in Texas? You are allowed to have an attorney represent you in small claims court in Texas.

When you sue a corporation or business in small claims court If you're suing a corporation or business, it's prudent to hire a lawyer if possible. ... In some states, the small claims rules prohibit you from having an attorney as the plaintiff but require the defendant as a corporation to have a lawyer.

Try to settle the dispute outside of court. ... Contact the county clerk in the small claims court district closest to the residence or business of the person you are suing. ... Fill out a complaint form, otherwise known as a "Statement of Claim" at the clerk's office, and pay the filing fee.

Each type of claim has different basic elements you must prove. Further, in Texas, every claim also has a deadline in which you must bring the lawsuit, this is known as a statute of limitations . Typically, the statute of limitations in Texas for most claims is two years after the dispute arose.

You also must check the statute of limitations that applies to your type of case. Statutes of limitations are deadlines after which you cannot file a lawsuit. For most cases in Texas, the statute of limitations is two years from the date the dispute arose but in some cases you have as long as four years to file suit.

In most cases you cannot file a personal injury lawsuit once the statute of limitations has run. ... A statute of limitations sets a firm deadline on how much time you have to file a lawsuit in civil court, after you have suffered some type of harm.

Choose the right court. ... Draft your petition. ... Draft your discovery requests. ... Sign your petition. ... File your petition. ... Wait for the defendant's answer. ... Decide if you want to request a jury. ... Attend your hearing.

To begin a civil lawsuit in federal court, the plaintiff files a complaint with the court and serves a copy of the complaint on the defendant.

Make sure your claim falls within the court's limits. ... Check the statute of limitations for your claim. ... Get the forms you need. ... Fill out your forms. ... Sign your forms. ... File your forms with the small claims court clerk. ... Have the forms served on the other side. ... Appear in court on your appointed date.

Prepare your complaint. To sue someone, you must prepare a document called a complaint that you will file with the court. ... File your complaint at the courthouse. ... Serve the defendant. ... Gather facts about your case through discovery. ... Conduct informal investigation.

Civil court trials take longer and are typically set for trial a year or 18 months after being filed. Criminal trials are set sooner since the defendant has a right to a speedy trial. The process of a lawsuit takes time: There are procedural rules that govern the process of the lawsuit and each step takes time.

Bring at least one original and two copies to the court clerk. Submit the documents to the court clerk for filing. ... Pay a filing fee. ... Keep two extra copies of the complaint for your records.