Small Claims Complaint
Arkansas Small Claims Claim-Preparation Packet — Not for Filing
DO NOT FILE OR SERVE THIS PACKET. It organizes facts and records for counsel, a court self-help resource, or completion of the filing document actually authorized by the selected court. It does not start a case, preserve a deadline, establish eligibility, select a court, calculate damages, or complete service.
1. Claimant Information
Full legal name: [________________________________]
Other name used in the transaction: [________________________________]
Individual or organization: [________________________________]
Street address: [________________________________]
Mailing address: [________________________________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Authorized representative, if any: [________________________________]
Attorney or reviewing professional: [________________________________]
2. Proposed Defendant Information
Use exact legal names. A trade name, store name, employee name, owner name, and entity name may refer to different persons.
| Proposed defendant | Individual or entity | Address | Source used to confirm name and address |
|---|---|---|---|
| [________________] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
| [________________] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
Known trade names or aliases: [________________________________]
Registered-agent or other delivery information identified for review:
[____________________________________________________________]
Questions about the correct defendant:
[____________________________________________________________]
3. Court and Procedure Gate
Do not choose a court or calculate a deadline from this packet. Record answers obtained from the selected court's current materials or reviewing attorney.
| Question | Confirmed information | Source and date checked |
|---|---|---|
| Correct court and division | [________________] | [________________] |
| Court address and clerk contact | [________________] | [________________] |
| Claim type is accepted | [________________] | [________________] |
| Amount is within the current limit | [________________] | [________________] |
| Geographic or venue requirements are satisfied | [________________] | [________________] |
| Limitations or filing deadline | [________________] | [________________] |
| Required form or online workflow | [________________] | [________________] |
| Filing fee or waiver process | [________________] | [________________] |
| Signature, verification, or notarization step | [________________] | [________________] |
| Summons, notice, or service procedure | [________________] | [________________] |
| Hearing, mediation, or scheduling procedure | [________________] | [________________] |
| Jury-related procedure, if relevant | [________________] | [________________] |
| Review or appeal information | [________________] | [________________] |
Confirmed by: [________________________________]
Confirmation date: [__/__/____]
☐ The current case-starting document or portal was obtained from the selected court.
☐ Eligibility, amount, party, location, and timing questions were reviewed before drafting.
☐ Filing, fee, signature, service, and hearing steps were copied from a current case-specific source.
4. Dispute Summary
Short description of the dispute:
[____________________________________________________________]
[____________________________________________________________]
Where the relevant events occurred: [________________________________]
Date of the first relevant event: [__/__/____]
Date of the most recent relevant event: [__/__/____]
Date payment or performance was expected: [__/__/____]
What the claimant provided, promised, paid, or did:
[____________________________________________________________]
What the proposed defendant did or failed to do:
[____________________________________________________________]
How the claimant was affected:
[____________________________________________________________]
5. Event Chronology
| Date | Event | Person involved | Supporting record |
|---|---|---|---|
| [__/__/____] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
| [__/__/____] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
| [__/__/____] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
| [__/__/____] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
| [__/__/____] | [________________] | [________________] | [________________] |
6. Claim-Theory Review
Checking an item does not establish a claim. It identifies an issue for review under the law governing the facts.
☐ An agreement was not performed as promised.
☐ Money, goods, a deposit, or property should be returned.
☐ Work, goods, or services were defective or incomplete.
☐ Property was damaged.
☐ A person was injured.
☐ A bill, account, loan, or payment obligation is disputed.
☐ A misrepresentation, omission, or unauthorized transaction may be involved.
☐ Another issue: [________________________________]
Facts supporting the selected issue:
[____________________________________________________________]
Questions for counsel about required elements, defenses, or available relief:
[____________________________________________________________]
7. Amount and Remedy Worksheet
Do not include an item merely because it appears below. Counsel or the court's current materials must confirm what may be requested and what proof is required.
| Item | Calculation | Amount | Supporting record | Reviewed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid contract amount | [________________] | $[________] | [________________] | ☐ |
| Repair or replacement cost | [________________] | $[________] | [________________] | ☐ |
| Property loss | [________________] | $[________] | [________________] | ☐ |
| Payment, credit, refund, or offset | [________________] | $[________] | [________________] | ☐ |
| Interest, fee, cost, or other amount | [________________] | $[________] | [________________] | ☐ |
| Other | [________________] | $[________] | [________________] | ☐ |
Proposed total before legal review: $[________________]
Nonmonetary outcome requested, if any: [________________________________]
Amount and remedy approved for the authorized filing: [________________________________]
8. Demand and Resolution History
Date payment or performance was requested: [__/__/____]
How the request was sent: [________________________________]
Response received:
[____________________________________________________________]
Settlement offers or partial performance:
[____________________________________________________________]
Documents showing delivery or receipt: [________________________________]
Preferred resolution: [________________________________]
9. Evidence and Witness Inventory
| Item or witness | What it shows | Location or contact | Original preserved? |
|---|---|---|---|
| [________________] | [________________] | [________________] | ☐ |
| [________________] | [________________] | [________________] | ☐ |
| [________________] | [________________] | [________________] | ☐ |
| [________________] | [________________] | [________________] | ☐ |
☐ Agreements, estimates, invoices, receipts, and payment records gathered.
☐ Messages, letters, photographs, recordings, and electronic records preserved.
☐ Ownership, assignment, account, or authority records gathered when relevant.
☐ Witness availability and contact information checked.
☐ Confidential, privileged, medical, financial, or identifying information flagged before submission.
10. Authorized Filing Record
Complete this section only for the separate filing document authorized by the selected court.
Document or portal used: [________________________________]
Prepared or reviewed by: [________________________________]
Signed by: [________________________________]
Signature or notarization completed as instructed: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not applicable
Filed on: [__/__/____]
Filing method and location: [________________________________]
Fee paid or waiver reference: [________________________________]
Receipt, case number, or confirmation: [________________________________]
Summons, notice, or service step assigned to: [________________________________]
Completion date and proof location: [________________________________]
11. Hearing Preparation
Confirmed hearing date and time: [________________________________]
Confirmed location or remote-access instructions: [________________________________]
Arrival or connection time: [________________________________]
☐ Bring or securely access the filed claim and all court notices.
☐ Organize exhibits and copies in the manner confirmed for the case.
☐ Prepare a short chronology and explanation of the requested amount.
☐ Confirm witness attendance and any required process with counsel or the court.
☐ Review accessibility, interpreter, scheduling, or remote-appearance needs early.
Questions for counsel, the clerk, or a court self-help resource:
[____________________________________________________________]
Final reminder: This packet is not a complaint or statement of claim. Filing or serving it does not start a case. Use only the filing document and procedure confirmed for the selected court.
About This Template
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.
Important Notice
This template is provided for informational purposes. It is not legal advice. 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 2026-08-24.
Last updated: 2026-08-24
Get your Small Claims Complaint, done and ready to use
Fill it in for your situation, adjust it for your state, and download the finished Word and PDF. Let the AI do it in about 5 minutes, or finish it yourself in the editor. $99 one time, or go Pro for access to every document and every Ezel app.