Small claims court in Texas: The $20K DIY legal option every DFW resident should know about

Texas Justice Court (small claims) handles disputes up to $20,000. No lawyer required. Here's the complete guide.

Filing:

1. Go to the Justice of the Peace court in the precinct where the defendant lives or where the issue occurred
2. Fill out a petition (the court clerk helps with this)
3. Pay the filing fee ($54-75 depending on the county)
4. The court serves the defendant (you don't have to)

Dallas County JP Courts:

• Precinct 1: 125 E. Main St, Grand Prairie
• Precinct 2: 7616 LBJ Freeway, Dallas
• Precinct 3: 2600 Lone Star Dr, Dallas
• Precinct 4: 114 W. Commerce St, Dallas
• Precinct 5: 7119 W. Camp Wisdom Rd, Dallas

Tarrant County JP Courts:

• Multiple precincts — check tarrantcounty.com for locations

What to bring to court:

1. Copies of all evidence (3 sets: judge, defendant, yourself)
2. Written contract or agreement
3. Photos/videos
4. Text messages/emails (printed)
5. Receipts of payment
6. Witness testimony (if available)

The hearing:

• Dress business casual
• Be organized. Judges handle dozens of cases per day.
• State the facts. What happened, what was promised, what went wrong, what you're owed.
• Let the evidence speak. Emotional arguments lose to documented facts.

After winning:

• If the defendant doesn't pay voluntarily, you can get a Writ of Execution (bank levy) or Abstract of Judgment (lien on property)

Cost-benefit: For disputes over $500, small claims is almost always worth it. The filing fee is recovered if you win.

Sources:

• Texas Government Code Chapter 28 (Justice Court jurisdiction)
• Texas Rules of Civil Procedure — Rules 500-507 (small claims)
• Dallas County JP Courts (dallascounty.org)
• Tarrant County JP Courts (tarrantcounty.com)

$20,000 limit. No lawyer needed. The court system works if you use it.

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