Terms of Use

1. Acceptance

By accessing or using SmallClaims.com (the "Site"), including its calculators and other tools, you agree to these Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Disclaimer, which are incorporated into these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Site. We may update these Terms; changes take effect when posted, and your continued use means you accept them.

2. Who may use the Site

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding agreement. The Site provides information about courts in the United States and is intended for use in the United States.

3. What the Site is — and is not

The Site is a self-help legal information service operated by SmallClaims LLC. It publishes general information about small claims courts and includes tools to help you locate the appropriate court and understand filing limits and venue. The Site is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Site provides information to help you act on your own. It does not prepare legal documents, and it does not file, submit, or mail anything on your behalf. See the Disclaimer, which is incorporated into these Terms.

4. No legal advice; your responsibility

The information on the Site is general, may not apply to your situation, and may not be current. You are solely responsible for deciding whether and where to bring a claim, for verifying all court requirements with the relevant court, and for any action you take. Nothing on the Site is a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney.

5. Accuracy of information

We work to keep court information accurate but do not warrant that it is correct, complete, or current. Court rules, fees, dollar limits, deadlines, and locations change, and official sources may lag. Always confirm with the court before relying on any information.

6. Acceptable use

You agree not to use the Site for any unlawful purpose; scrape, harvest, or copy the Site's content except as expressly permitted; interfere with or disrupt the Site or its security; misrepresent your identity; or use the Site to build or train a competing product. We may suspend or terminate access for any violation.

7. Intellectual property; license

The Site and its content — text, design, organization, and compiled court data — are owned by SmallClaims LLC or its licensors and are protected by intellectual-property laws. We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Site for your own personal, non-commercial purpose of researching and pursuing your own small claims matter.

8. Third-party links and resources

The Site may link to court websites, government resources, and other third-party sites. Those links are provided for convenience only; we do not control and are not responsible for third-party sites or their content, and a link is not an endorsement.

9. Disclaimer of warranties

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF ACCURACY, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY INFORMATION IS ACCURATE OR CURRENT.

10. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SMALLCLAIMS LLC AND ITS MEMBERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, REVENUES, OR DATA, OR FOR THE OUTCOME OF ANY LEGAL MATTER, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SITE, HOWEVER CAUSED AND UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SITE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES OR DAMAGES. IN THOSE JURISDICTIONS, THE ABOVE APPLIES ONLY TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, AND OUR LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THESE TERMS LIMITS LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

11. Release

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you release SmallClaims LLC and its members, officers, employees, and agents from all claims and damages, known and unknown, arising out of or relating to: (a) your legal matter or dispute and its outcome, including decisions you make in it; (b) the acts or omissions of any third party, including any opposing party, any court or clerk, and the operators of third-party sites and resources linked from the Site; and (c) your use of or reliance on information on the Site. This release does not apply to liability that cannot be released under applicable law.

If you are a California resident, you waive California Civil Code Section 1542, which says: "A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE AND THAT, IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY." If you reside in another state, you likewise waive the benefit of any statute or common-law rule of your state that limits a general release to claims known or suspected at the time of the release.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless SmallClaims LLC from claims arising out of your use of the Site, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law.

13. Dispute resolution; arbitration; class-action waiver

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.

Informal resolution first. Before starting arbitration or a court case, you and we each agree to first send the other a written description of the dispute and the relief requested (to us: legal@smallclaims.com) and to try in good faith to resolve it for 60 days. Most concerns can be resolved this way.

Binding individual arbitration. If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Site will be resolved by binding arbitration between you and SmallClaims LLC on an individual basis, administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, including its Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules, in effect when the arbitration is filed. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this section. Arbitration fees are allocated under the AAA's consumer rules; SmallClaims LLC will not seek its attorneys' fees from you unless the arbitrator finds your claim frivolous.

Small claims option. Either you or we may instead bring an individual claim in small claims court in a court that has jurisdiction.

Class-action and jury waiver. You and we each agree that disputes may be brought only in an individual capacity — not as a plaintiff or class member in any class, consolidated, or representative proceeding — and each waive any right to a jury trial for claims not subject to arbitration, to the extent that waiver is permitted by law. If the prohibition on class proceedings is found unenforceable for a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) proceeds in court.

Your right to opt out. You may opt out of this arbitration section entirely by emailing legal@smallclaims.com with the subject "Arbitration Opt-Out," your name, and your email address within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Opting out does not affect any other part of these Terms.

What this section does not limit. Nothing here prevents you from reporting concerns to a federal, state, or local agency, or from seeking relief those agencies can award. This section survives any termination of these Terms.

14. Governing law; venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, except where the law of your state of residence necessarily applies to you as a consumer. Except for claims brought in small claims court under Section 13, any claim not subject to arbitration will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and you and we consent to personal jurisdiction there.

15. Changes; severability; entire agreement

We may modify these Terms at any time by posting an updated version; for material changes, we will post a more prominent notice on the Site. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect. These Terms and the documents they reference are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Site.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms or the Disclaimer can be sent to SmallClaims LLC at legal@smallclaims.com.