Small Claims

The Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Office processes filings in small claims cases filed in County Court. A small claims lawsuit is a simplified procedure for resolving civil disputes involving amounts of $8,000 or less, exclusive of costs, interest, and attorney fees.

Small Claims Rules are special rules that apply to small claims lawsuits. These rules enable individuals to handle their cases with or without an attorney. However, cases that involve small amounts often have complex legal issues. Therefore, any individual who is unsure of how to proceed in a case should consult an attorney.

Filing a Small Claims Lawsuit

A Small Claims Packet is available to those wishing to file a small claims lawsuit. This packet will provide instructions and forms for your use.

Before filing your claim, you should make sure you have the proper name and address of the party you want to sue. You will need the full name and address of any individuals. For businesses, you will need the legal name for the business, as well as the name of the business owner and their address. If you wish to sue a corporation, you need to identify the name and address of a corporate representative who is available to receive service of lawsuit papers. This information can be obtained from www.sunbiz.org.

A Statement of Claim should be completed once the information needed for the Statement of Claim is gathered. Any documents supporting the claim should be attached to the Statement of Claim. Once the Statement of Claim, complete with attachments, if any, is completed, one (1) complete copy should be made for filing with the court, and one (1) complete copy should be made for each defendant. Each copy should also be accompanied by a Statement of Responsibility.

The Office of the State Courts Administrator offers additional resources and information on filing a small claims lawsuit.

Submission of Documents

The Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration require that petitions, pleadings, and documents be filed electronically except in certain circumstances. Self-represented litigants (pro se) may file petitions or other pleadings or documents electronically; however, they are not required to do so.

If you choose to file your pleadings or other documents electronically, you must do so in accordance with Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.525.

If you are filing a small claims lawsuit, all documents can be submitted to the Lake County Clerk’s Office one of the following ways:

1. By Electronic Submission (E-Filing)
   Visit the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at www.myflcourtaccess.com to electronically submit documents related to your case.
2. By U.S. Mail
   Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller
   ATTN: Central Intake
   P.O. Box 7800
   Tavares, FL 32778-7800
3. In-Person
   Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller
   Lake County Courthouse – Central Intake Section
   550 W. Main St., East Wing, First Floor
   Tavares, FL 32778
   Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mediation

Mediation is a fair and economical way for people who are having a dispute to talk about their issues and concerns and to make decisions about the dispute with the help of another person (called a mediator). A mediator is not allowed to decide who is right or wrong or to tell you how to resolve your dispute.

In mediation, you can try to find solutions that make sense to you and the other person in the dispute in order to resolve some or all of your concerns.

In Lake County, the judges require mediation in small claims actions.

Collecting on a Judgment

The court does not collect money damages on your behalf. If you are awarded a court-ordered judgment, there are a few methods that you can use to collect on the judgment.

• Recording a certified copy of the judgment in the official records of the county in which the person against whom the judgment is entered may own property, to act as a lien on that property
• Levying on property
• Garnishing bank accounts or wages

The Florida Division of Corporations provides more information on the steps you can take to collect on your judgment.

NOTE: Florida law prevents staff of the Lake County Clerk’s Office from providing legal advice. The information, forms, and documents contained on this website are provided to help those seeking to represent themselves without the assistance of an attorney and are meant to serve as a guide only.

We do not guarantee that the information provided will achieve the result you desire. If you are using the forms or documents provided on this website, you do so at your own risk.