Small Claims Complaint - Preparation Worksheet - Alaska
Small Claims Complaint - Preparation Worksheet
For completing Alaska court Form SC-1 (8/25)
Before you use this: Alaska District Court Civil Rule 10(a) requires the court's own complaint form. Transfer your answers to SC-1, sign and file that form with any required attachments. This worksheet itself is not the filing.
Court and parties — SC-1 heading
Court location ("AT"): [________________________________]
Plaintiff full legal name(s): [________________________________]
Defendant full legal name(s): [________________________________]
Case number: [LEAVE BLANK IF NOT YET ASSIGNED]
If plaintiff is a corporation: ☐ It has paid taxes due Alaska and filed required reports. ☐ Plaintiff is not a corporation.
Amount and reason for claim — SC-1 first page
Principal amount defendant owes plaintiff: $[________]
Interest requested, if supported: $[________] Basis and period: [________________________________]
Court costs requested: $[________]
Why defendant owes this amount: [DESCRIBE THE TRANSACTION, THE DEFENDANT'S ACT OR FAILURE, AND HOW THE CLAIM AMOUNT WAS CALCULATED IN A SHORT, PLAIN STATEMENT]
[____________________________________________________________]
[____________________________________________________________]
Where it happened (at or near): [________________], Alaska
Approximate date: [__/__/____]
Written payment request: ☐ Plaintiff has asked defendant in writing to pay. ☐ Plaintiff has not.
Supporting written documents: [LIST AGREEMENTS, INVOICES, RECEIPTS, MESSAGES, OR OTHER DOCUMENTS TO ATTACH]
[____________________________________________________________]
SC-1 requests small claims procedure and waives a jury trial and formal procedure. The ordinary small claims limit is $10,000 in principal, exclusive of costs, interest, and attorney fees; the form also states the principal-collection waiver. Check the amount before making that election. The statute excludes cases involving important or unusual points of law or the State as defendant. For a claim above the small claims amount, District Court Civil Rule 8(b) addresses a written waiver of the excess.
Filing location — SC-1 venue boxes
SC-1 asks you to identify a court that will not cause unnecessary expense or inconvenience to defendant. Check each true basis on the official form:
- ☐ Nearest the defendant's residence or place of employment.
- ☐ Near where the defendant allegedly caused personal injury or damage to plaintiff's property.
- ☐ Where the defendant does or solicits business.
Facts supporting the selected court location: [________________________________]
Signature and contact fields — SC-1 first page
Signer name and title, if applicable: [________________________________]
Mailing address: [________________________________]
City, state, ZIP: [________________________________]
Email (if provided, SC-1 includes consent to electronic court documents): [________________________________]
Phone: [________________________________]
Signature and date: Sign and date the official SC-1, not this worksheet.
Debt-collection case field — if applicable
If this complaint collects a debt, District Court Civil Rule 10(a) and SC-1 require a person authorized to discuss the case with defendant. On SC-1, select the signer if that person is authorized, or give the other person's:
Name: [________________________________] Email: [________________________________]
Mailing address: [________________________________] Phone: [________________________________]
Attachments and filing check
- ☐ Attach a written document on which the complaint is based, if any, as Rule 10(a) requires.
- ☐ Check the current Alaska small claims forms page for SC-1 and the SC-100 Small Claims Handbook.
- ☐ Read SC-1 page 2 for supporting-document instructions and its TrueFiling availability and exemption directions.
- ☐ Sign and file SC-1 with the court. Keep a copy and follow the court's current service instructions.
District Court Civil Rule 18 permits either party to appeal a judgment or an order refusing relief from default; follow the current appellate rules for any appeal.
Sources and references
About this template
- Last updated
- October 3, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 3, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Alaska
- Category
- Litigation & Court Documents
Legal authority
- AS 22.15.030(a)(1) (district-court civil money jurisdiction)
- AS 22.15.040(a) (small-claims amount and eligibility limits)
- AS 22.15.050 (actions outside district-court civil jurisdiction)
- Alaska District Court Civil Rule 8(b) (written waiver of excess claim)
- Alaska District Court Civil Rule 10(a) (official complaint and jury waiver)
- Alaska District Court Civil Rule 12(a) (venue)
- Alaska District Court Civil Rule 18 (appeal)
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 3, 2026.
AS 22.15.030(a)(1) (checked October 3, 2026): "for the recovery of money or damages when the amount claimed exclusive of costs, interest, and attorney fees does not exceed $100,000 for each defendant."
AS 22.15.040(a) (checked October 3, 2026): "Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, when a claim for relief does not exceed $10,000, exclusive of costs, interest, and attorney fees, and request is so made, the district judge or magistrate shall hear the action as a small claim unless important or unusual points of law are involved or the state is a defendant."
AS 22.15.050 (checked October 3, 2026): "The jurisdiction of the district courts does not extend to (1) an action in which the title to real property is in question; (2) an action of an equitable nature, except as otherwise provided by law."
Alaska District Court Civil Rule 8(b) (checked October 3, 2026): "A party having a claim or claims exceeding the maximum amount of a small claim as defined by AS 22.15.040 may waive the right to recover the excess amount and elect to proceed under this Part II, by filing a written waiver of the excess amount."
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