Small Claims Hearing Preparation Worksheet - California
CALIFORNIA SMALL CLAIMS HEARING PREPARATION WORKSHEET
Use this worksheet to organize your defense for the hearing. Do not file it as an answer. If you received Plaintiff’s Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court (form SC-100), the court has set a hearing. To dispute the claim, attend and present your side. If you want to sue the plaintiff back, use the official Defendant’s Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court (form SC-120), and follow its filing and service instructions. California Courts defendant guide; Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 116.360.
For ordinary money claims, the general small claims limit is $12,500 for a claim brought by a natural person and $6,250 for other claimants, subject to the special claim-type and filing-frequency rules in Code of Civil Procedure sections 116.220, 116.221, and 116.231. A defendant disputing only the plaintiff's claim can present a defense at the hearing without filing a separate answer. California Courts defendant guide.
1. Hearing details
| Item | Fill in from the notice |
|---|---|
| Court and county | [________________________________] |
| Case number | [________________________________] |
| Plaintiff | [________________________________] |
| Defendant | [________________________________] |
| Hearing date, time, and location | [________________________________] |
| Remote appearance instructions, if provided | [________________________________] |
| Date and method you received the claim | [________________________________] |
| Small claims advisor contact | [________________________________] |
Attach a copy of form SC-100 and any later hearing notice to this worksheet.
2. Your account of the dispute
What is the plaintiff asking the court to decide? [________________________________]
What happened, in date order?
| Date | Event | Document or witness that supports it |
|---|---|---|
| [__/__/____] | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
| [__/__/____] | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
| [__/__/____] | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
Which facts in the claim do you dispute, and why?
| Claim or amount disputed | Your response | Evidence to bring |
|---|---|---|
| [________________________________] | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
| [________________________________] | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
What outcome are you asking the judicial officer for? [________________________________]
3. Evidence and hearing plan
| Item or person | What it shows | How you will have it available at the hearing |
|---|---|---|
| [________________________________] | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
| [________________________________] | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
| [________________________________] | [________________________________] | [________________________________] |
☐ I checked the court's instructions for bringing or submitting evidence.
☐ I organized copies of records and a short account of the facts.
☐ I checked the hearing location or remote appearance instructions.
☐ I arranged any interpreter or disability access request through the court.
4. If you have a claim against the plaintiff
A claim against the plaintiff requires a separate official Defendant’s Claim (form SC-120). It is not made by completing this worksheet. Code of Civil Procedure section 116.360 permits a defendant's claim within the small claims limits, even if unrelated to the plaintiff's claim. File and serve the claim and order; the plaintiff ordinarily must be served at least five days before the hearing, or at least one day before if the defendant was served ten days or less before the hearing. The SC-120 form is signed under penalty of perjury.
If a defendant's claim exceeds the small claims limit and relates to the same contract, transaction, matter, or event, section 116.390 permits a separate action in a court with jurisdiction and a request to transfer the small claims action. The transfer is subject to the statute's filing, delivery, and court-decision requirements; it is not automatic.
☐ I am considering a Defendant’s Claim and will check the official form, applicable amount limit, filing fee or waiver, and service deadline.
Claim and amount to investigate: [________________________________]
Facts and evidence supporting it: [________________________________]
5. Before the hearing
A small claims trial is heard by a judicial officer, without a jury. Tulare County Superior Court guide. California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.530 generally bars attorneys from conducting or defending the small claims action, with stated exceptions. This worksheet has no jury request, answer signature, or attorney certification.
☐ I will attend the hearing or use the court's instructions to request a date change if needed.
☐ I will bring the notice, this worksheet, and the evidence organized above.
☐ If I need case-specific help, I will contact the small claims advisor or a qualified California attorney for advice before the hearing.
About this template
- Last updated
- October 25, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 25, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- California
- Category
- Litigation & Court Documents
Legal authority
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.220(a)(1) (general monetary limit)
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.221 (natural-person monetary limit)
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.231 (filing-frequency rule)
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.360 (Defendant's Claim)
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.390 (related over-limit claim and transfer)
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.530 (Attorney Participation)
These are the filings that drive a lawsuit through the system: complaints, answers, motions, briefs, discovery requests and responses, and post-judgment papers. Each has its own format requirements under federal and state procedural rules, and each has a deadline that cannot be missed without consequences. Clean, procedurally correct filings move a case forward; sloppy ones invite motions to strike, amended responses, and avoidable delays.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 25, 2026.
California Courts Small Claims Defendant Guide (checked October 25, 2026): "If you disagree with all or some of what the other side is asking for or saying, you can go to the court date and give your side of the story."
California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.360 (Defendant's Claim) (checked October 25, 2026): "The defendant’s claim shall be filed and served in the manner provided for filing and serving a claim of the plaintiff under Sections 116.330 and 116.340."
California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.360(c) (checked October 25, 2026): "The defendant shall cause a copy of the claim and order to be served on the plaintiff at least five days before the hearing date, unless the defendant was served 10 days or less before the hearing date, in which event the defendant shall cause a copy of the defendant’s claim and order to be served on the plaintiff at least one day before the hearing date."
California Code of Civil Procedure § 116.220(a)(1) (checked October 25, 2026): "for recovery of money, if the amount of the demand does not exceed six thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($6,250)."
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