Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc. (LAD) conducted a free workshop for residents of Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties on how to represent themselves in small claims court and collect money judgments on April 9 at Mount Clemens Public Library, 150 Cass Ave., Mount Clemens.
Plaintiffs can sue for money damages up to $5,000 in small claims court, Kelly Bidelman, managing of LAD’s Macomb County office in Mount Clemens, told attendees.
Small claims is less formal than the general civil docket in district court, Bidelman said. Small claims cases are usually heard within 30 days of filing, she said.
However, plaintiffs give up the right to representation by an attorney, the right to a jury trial, and the right to appeal the judgment of the court, Bidelman said.
The workshop featured a presentation on mediation by Craig Pappas of the Resolution Center in Mount Clemens. “You have practical options before going to small claims court,” he said.
“Mediation is designed the help the parties develop a settlement themselves,” Pappas said. “We try to get a win-win for both parties.”
Small claims cases are automatically sent to mediation in 37th, 38th and 41B district courts for Warren, Eastpointe, Mount Clemens, and Clinton and Harrison townships, Pappas said.
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