The California Small Claims Hearing

Claim limit

$12,500

Court

Small Claims Court

File online

Varies by court

Appeal window

30 days

What a Trial is

At the Trial, the court typically:

• Confirms the defendant was properly served
• Hears each side describe what happened, briefly
• Looks at the documents each side brought
• Decides, often the same day

Not appearing normally ends the case against the party who failed to attend.

How the date is set

The court sets the first date once the case is filed and the defendant has been served. In California the case is usually heard at that first appearance. If the defendant loses, they have 30 days to move for a new trial and 30 days to appeal.

What decides it

Small claims hearings turn on evidence far more than on argument:

• The written agreement, if there was one, and the messages that show what was agreed if there was not
• Proof of what you paid: receipts, transfers, cancelled cheques, card statements
• Photographs, estimates and invoices showing the loss and what it costs to put right
• A short, ordered account of what happened and when

Bring copies for the court and for the other side. A judge cannot rely on a document nobody else has seen.

We cannot tell you whether your evidence is enough, or what a court will make of it. We prepare the filing; the hearing is yours.

Common questions

What happens at a California small claims hearing?

Each side describes what happened and shows what they brought. The court usually decides at that appearance.

Is the first court date the trial in California?

Usually yes — California normally hears the case at the first appearance.

What should I bring?

Your agreement or messages, proof of payment, photographs, estimates and invoices — with a copy for the court and a copy for the other side.

What happens if the other side does not turn up?

If they were properly served, you can ask the court to enter judgment in your favour by default. Proof of service is what makes that possible.

Do I need a lawyer at the hearing?

No. Small claims is built for people representing themselves.