If you believe someone owes you money, it’s natural to want to get back what you feel is rightfully yours. In Pensacola, you can file a lawsuit in civil court to get your money back. In this post, we go over the steps to filing a civil lawsuit in Escambia County:
Do Your Research
You’ll need some information and documentation before you file your civil lawsuit. You must clearly detail the amount you are owed and provide evidence to support your claim, such as receipts, invoices, promissory notes, contracts, etc. You also need complete information about the person or company you are suing, including their full legal name and address.
Know Where to File
The amount you claim you are owed will determine which section of the court you will file your lawsuit with:
- Claims up to $8,000 – Small Claims Court
- Claims from $8,000 to $29,999 – County Civil Court
- Claims $30,000 and up – Circuit Civil Court
Fill Out the Forms
The forms that you are required to fill out will depend on which section of court you are filing your lawsuit with and the specifics of your case. For forms related to small claims and county civil filing, go here. Circuit civil cases typically require the services of a licensed attorney to navigate which forms and documents apply.
File and Pay
Once you’ve filled out the required forms and gathered supporting documentation, it’s time to file your case with the correct section of the court. Filing fees vary depending on the court and any special considerations your case may have.
Serve the Case Process
After you’ve filed your case, you’ll be issued summons to deliver to the named case defendants. You must use a certified private process server or law enforcement to deliver the summons and a copy of your complaint. Once the summons is delivered, the defendant(s) are considered served and proof of service is filed with the court as evidence in the case.
If you intend to bring witnesses in for your case, they will need to be subpoenaed. Subpoenas also need to be delivered by a certified private process server or law enforcement to be considered legally valid.
If your case is in Escambia County, trust the professionals at Accurate Serve® of Pensacola to handle all your service of process needs. We’ll serve your case process well before any deadlines and provide verifiable proof of service filed with the proper court. You can also track the status of your process with our online status tracker, available 24/7 from our website.
Attend All Court Dates
You will receive several different dates where your appearance will be required in court, including:
- Pre-trial
- Mediation
- Trial
It is essential that you or your attorney show up for all your scheduled court dates. If you do not, you are risking your case being dismissed, or worse, a default judgment is awarded to the defendant for a counterclaim.
