Massachusetts Small Claims Court

Many debts that are cause for great anxiety and result in many phone calls from creditors or debt collectors are really quite small. The amounts in question could easily be brought in a small claims court and settled easily. In Massachusetts, a small claims court is not a separate court but rather a special session of the District Court, the Boston Municipal Court, or the Housing Court. The special session is designed in a way that provides an inexpensive and informal procedure to resolve small cases with amounts in question of $2,000 or less.

Individuals are allowed to file a small claims action as long as they are not asking for huge sums of money. A Massachusetts District Court will provide forms that are needed by both plaintiffs (the people filing the suit) and defendants (the people who are alleged to owe money). In addition to being available in any of the 62 Massachusetts district courts, the forms required by all parties are available online in a format that allows them to be downloaded.

One of the biggest benefits of small claims court is that it is inexpensive. Fees for cases with values in question of less than $500 are only $30 while fees for cases with values in question of more than $500 are only $40. If the defendant is found to owe the money alleged by the plaintiff, the plaintiff is able to recover the minimal court fee from the defendant in addition to the money in question in the case.

Small claims courts also do not require a lawyer. Why more creditors who are owed very small amounts do not utilize this special session of a court is inexplicable.

Contact a Boston Bankruptcy Lawyer

If you are subject to harassing phone calls by a creditor that have gotten ridiculous or are in a dire financial situation and are contemplating bankruptcy, contact the Boston bankruptcy lawyers of Joshua Spirn & Associates at 1-800-975-5346 to determine the best course of action for you.