Our firm receives many calls regarding small claims cases. One issue that immediately becomes a problem is that small claims are limited to damages under $10,000. Legal fees a client pays to us will cut into those damages very quickly, without any guarantee of a court win. This can make it difficult to fiscally justify being hired onto a small claims case.
Recently, Judicare opened a free mediation program for small claims cases in Portage County. If you go to a small claims return date, you will see Judicare mediators milling about waiting to help people try and solve their disputes without further litigation.
Their website says “Even if you have not yet filed a lawsuit, you can still request Judicare to mediate a dispute between you and another party.” This makes their services incredibly valuable because you may be able to resolve a dispute before you begin to incur any court fees.
There are certainly cases that have long-term effects or are more legally complex and should involve a lawyer. Mediation requires the other party to participate, and so there are plenty of cases that cannot be solved through mediation simply because of the parties involved. But, if you are considering filing a lawsuit in Small Claims Court in Portage County, it may be worth your time to contact Judicare to see if they can help mediate your dispute before you or the other party start paying court or legal fees.
Please go to the Judicare’s website for more information. If you are in another county, check Judicare’s website to see if they offer this program in your county. https://www.judicare.org/mediation/