demand-letters Cease and Desist Letter vs Demand Letter: What's the Difference? Here's the short version. A cease and desist says "stop what you're doing." A demand letter says "pay me what you owe." They are not the same thing. If someone owes you money, you need a demand letter. Most people who search
small-claims-court Hidden Costs of Small Claims Court Nobody Tells You About The filing fee is $30 to $75. That is the number every website gives you. But that is not the whole picture. The real cost of small claims court is higher. Not by a little. Sometimes by a lot. When you add up service of process, certified mail, time off
class-action-settlements Class Action Settlements You Can Claim Right Now Without Proof of Purchase Companies get sued. Settlements get reached. And the money just sits there. Nobody claims it. Every year, billions of dollars in free class action money go unclaimed. The checks don't get cashed. The forms don't get filed. People don't know they qualify. Or they
small-claims-court Class Action vs Small Claims Court: Which One Gets You More Money? You got a notice in the mail. There's a class action settlement. The company you bought from did something wrong. And your share of the settlement is $4.73. Meanwhile, the company owes you $800. That gap, between what the class action pays and what the company actually
class-action How to Check If You Qualify for a Class Action Settlement There might be money waiting for you right now. And you have no idea it's there. The average American is part of two or three class action lawsuits at any given time. Most people never file a claim. They don't know the lawsuit exists. Or they
Product Updates Introducing Petty Trace: We'll Find Them For You You finally decided to do something about the money someone owes you. You know who did it. You know what they owe. But there's one problem you didn't expect. You don't have their address. Maybe the contractor who took your $3,000 deposit and
small-claims-court How to File Small Claims in North Carolina: Complete 2026 Guide To file small claims in North Carolina, go to the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the defendant lives. Fill out the complaint form (AOC-CVM-200), pay the $96 filing fee plus a $30 sheriff service fee, and wait for your hearing date. You can claim up to $10,
small-claims-court How to File Small Claims in Georgia: Complete Magistrate Court Guide (2026) To file small claims in Georgia, go to Magistrate Court in the county where the defendant lives. Georgia does not have a separate small claims court. Magistrate Court handles it. You can sue for up to $15,000. No lawyer needed. Fill out a form, pay a fee (usually $45
small-claims-court How to File Small Claims in Ohio: Complete 2026 Guide To file small claims in Ohio, go to your local Municipal Court or County Court. Fill out a complaint form, pay the filing fee, and have the defendant served. Ohio Municipal Courts handle claims up to $6,000. County Courts handle claims up to $3,000. Your hearing will be
unpaid-wages Your Employer Owes You Money. Here's How to Get It Without a Lawyer. If your employer owes you money, you have three options. Send a formal written demand. File a free wage claim with your state. Or take your employer to small claims court. You do not need a lawyer for any of these. Most workers who take action get paid within two
demand-letters Do Demand Letters Work? 70% of Disputes Settle Without Court. Here's Why. Yes, demand letters work. Based on data from more than 2,500 cases, PettyLawsuit sees a 70% success rate without court. Most disputes settle within 10 days of the other party getting a formal notice. The reason is not magic. It is psychology, money, and the power of putting things
legal-ai AI Is Flooding Courts with Garbage Lawsuits. Here's What Responsible Legal AI Looks Like. AI is flooding courts with garbage. People are using ChatGPT to file hundreds of pages of legal papers. Lawyers are handing in briefs full of fake case citations. Judges are angry. Courts are buried. This is what AI lawsuits look like with no guardrails. Responsible legal AI works the opposite
demand-letter What Is a Demand Letter and Why It Works Better Than You Think A demand letter is a formal written notice that tells someone they owe you money, a service, or a remedy, and gives them a deadline to act before you take legal action. You do not need a lawyer to write one. You do not need to file anything in court.
contractors Contractor Took Money and Didn't Finish the Job? Here's Exactly What to Do If a contractor took your money and didn't finish the job, you have three solid options: send a formal demand letter, file a complaint with their state licensing board, or take them to small claims court. Most people get their money back without stepping foot in a courtroom.
freelancer-disputes Upwork Dispute? How to Get Your Money Back When the Platform Won't Help If you have an Upwork dispute and the platform is not helping, you have options. You can send a demand letter to the other party outside of Upwork. A formal demand letter tells them legal action is coming if they don't pay. Most people pay at that point.
civil-lawsuit Where to File a Civil Suit: A Complete Guide for Beginners You file a civil suit at the courthouse that has jurisdiction over your case. In most situations, that means the court in the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute happened. For small claims (under $5,000 to $12,500 depending on your state), you file at your
emotional-distress How Much Can I Sue for Emotional Distress? Key Factors Explained Emotional distress lawsuits typically settle between $5,000 and $500,000. Some cases go higher. The amount depends on how severe the distress was, how long it lasted, whether you have documentation, and what kind of claim you're filing. There's no fixed formula. But there are
small-claims-court How to File Small Claims in Illinois: Complete 2026 Guide To file small claims in Illinois, go to your local Circuit Court, fill out a Small Claims Complaint (form SC-CC-0006), pay the filing fee, and have the defendant served by the Sheriff. Illinois small claims handles disputes up to $10,000. Your hearing will be set for about 30 to
small-claims-court How to File Small Claims in Pennsylvania: Complete 2026 Guide To file small claims in Pennsylvania, go to your local Magisterial District Court, fill out Form AOPC 308A, pay the filing fee (between $53 and $127.50), and have the defendant served. A hearing is scheduled 12 to 60 days after you file. You can sue for up to $12,
product-update Introducing Profiles: Find Any Company's Legal Contacts in Seconds You wrote a demand letter. You Googled the company. You found a customer support email. You sent it. And then... nothing. Sound familiar? You're not alone. This is the single biggest reason demand letters fail. Not because the letter was bad. Because it went to the wrong person.
Shipping Disputes FedEx Lost Your Package? Here's How to Get Your Money Back Why This Matters Right Now Reuters recently reported that FedEx is facing a consumer class action lawsuit in Florida over lost and damaged shipments. It's a big deal and it confirms what a lot of people already know: shipping carriers lose packages, drag their feet on claims, and
Utility Disputes $1,591 Water Bill for Water You Never Used? You Can Fight Back Yes, you can dispute a water bill : and yes, you can take your utility company to small claims court if they refuse to fix it. A Fresno homeowner is doing exactly that right now. Their water district sent them a $1,591 bill for water they say they never used.
Landlord Tenant Your Landlord Won't Fix the Heat? Here's How to Sue Them The Law Is On Your Side: Implied Warranty of Habitability Every landlord in every state owes their tenants something called the implied warranty of habitability. It is not in your lease. It does not need to be. It is automatically baked into every rental agreement by law. What this means:
Small Claims Court Your Dog Destroyed Their Garden? Here's What Happens in Small Claims Court Who Is Actually Liable for Pet Damage? In most states, pet owners are legally responsible for damage their animals cause. This applies whether your dog dug up someone's rose bushes, chewed through a fence, or turned a koi pond into a snack bar. A few factors that affect
AI Legal Tech AI Is Rebuilding Small Claims Court : And PettyLawsuit Is Leading the Charge The Broken System Nobody Talks About Legal AI is having a moment. More than $2 billion has poured into the legal tech space, and most of it is chasing the same target: tools for lawyers. Better contract review. Faster research. Smarter billing. Nobody was building for the person whose contractor
