The first issue you will have to determine is whether your civil claim is eligible for small claims court. Each jurisdiction varies, so you need to look at the rules External of court for your jurisdiction to ensure that your claim is under the limit External set for your small claims court. 

To find your state’s court rules online, we suggest using the Guide to Law Online, which is curated by the Law Library of Congress–simply look under the “Judicial” section for each state.