- Free Consultation: (202) 448-5136 Tap Here To Call Us
D.C. Small Claims Increase Is a Big Win for Creditors
Effective immediately, the jurisdictional limit of D.C.’s Small Claims Court has increased from $5,000 to $10,000. By contrast, Virginia’s small claims (General District Court) limit is $25,000, and Maryland’s small claims (District Court) limit is $30,000. The D.C. small claims increase took effect pursuant to the District of Columbia Judicial Financial Transparency Act of 2016.
Make no mistake: the D.C. Small Claims increase is a big win for creditors. The increase will result in many more cases for debts between $5,000 and $10,000.
D.C. Small Claims Court
The D.C. Small Claims and Conciliation Branch is a branch of the D.C. Superior Court and is located in the same building as the Landlord Tenant Court Building B, 510 4th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. The clerk is located in Room 120, and the courtroom is located in Room 119.
The Small Claims court does not offer jury trials; only the Superior Civil Actions Branch offers jury trials. Small claims is located to the left when you enter the courthouse, while landlord tenant claims are heard to the right.
D.C. Small Claims Increase is a Win for Creditors
We will have to see how effectively the D.C. Small Claims Branch will handle the caseload increase. But many debts, between $5,000 and $10,000, will now be filed in small claims, whereas they were not once worth filing in the civil division. The change represents a decided win for creditors, and they will now more frequently pursue claims up to $10,000.
Defendants in small claims do not have access to jury trial, and there is no discovery in small claims. Creditors’ case filing fees have dropped now, too, from $120 down to $45.
As a result, creditors with claims of $5,000 to $10,000 now have much shorter case timelines, making these cases more profitable. Predictably, creditors attorneys will now file many more cases for debts up to $10,000.
Any way you look at it, the D.C. Small Claims increase is a big win for creditors.
They Called. They're Glad They Did.
Brian Lee from Lee Legal was an amazing attorney to work with. He took his time, reviewed my documents and we discussed my situation thoroughly. He explained the process and my options as well as gave his recommendation. Not only did he assist, but he ensured that I knew this...
I was very nervous and scared about going through this process. But Brian was very knowledgeable and helped me through it. I was notified about any and all updates to my case and he was very responsive when I had questions regarding any concerns I had. Although a bit nerve...
Brian provided me with a very detailed analysis about my potential case after our first consultation. He promptly responded to all my complex questions, especially navigating student loans and some tax discussions. He is very professional and experienced at what he does, I would...
I've had the pleasure of working alongside Brian V. Lee for several years, and I can say without hesitation that he is one of the most knowledgeable bankruptcy attorneys in the DMV area. Brian's command of Chapter 7, 11, and 13 practice is exceptional, and his clients in the DC...
Brian has the amazing talent of taking complicated legal matters and distilling them down to seamless, frictionless resolutions. He is a phenomenal problem solver and a trusted advisor.
Brian is both warm and professional. He helped me navigate a financial issue that I had not been looking forward to working on and he made the entire experience non-stressful, receiving a lot of anxiety I had around the matter. He is straight forward and a fantastic problem...
I had the opportunity to work with Brian at a time when I was challenged by a professional setback and forced with the challenge of making some very difficult legal decisions. Additionally, I worked with him again as I was dealing with some financial issues pertaining to my...
Still several years from Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness and saddled with significant student loan payments in proportion to my income, I came to Lee Legal to explore the bankruptcy path. Through his counsel, Brian took the fear out of the process and helped me to...
