Douglas County Small Claims Court

Douglas County Small Claims Court

When will my hearing date be?

In Douglas County, the court selects the hearing date after the defendant responds to the claim. Hearing dates are usually 15 to 30 days after the date the answer was filed.

How Much Time Does a Defendant Have to Answer?

After the plaintiff files the claim, the magistrate court will serve the defendant with a copy of the claim (including the sworn statement) and a summons (with the date and time of the hearng) to appear in court. The defendant has 30 days to respond or answer the claim.

Hearing Procedures and Mediation

In some counties, the court requires both parties to attempt to resolve the case through mediation before the court will hear the case (if the mediation is unsuccessful). Mediation is an attempt to try and settle the case without a hearing. Even if the parties are agreeable to settling the case through mediation, a plaintiff may still ask the defendant to pay court costs. If the parties cannot agree to settle the case, the the court will hear arguments presented by the plaintiff and the defendant. The court will also allow the plaintiff and defendant to question or dispute each other’s evidence during the hearing. When all parties are finished presenting their evidence, the court will render a decision. The judge may award damages to the plaintiff, defendant, or both depending on the facts of the case.
The court has several options if the plaintiff does not appear at the hearing:

• The court can allow defendant to put on his or her evidence and then issue a decision without hearing from the plaintiff.
• continue the case.
• The court can dismiss the case

If the defendant does not show at the hearing, the court has the power to grant a default judgment against the defendant. It is called a default judgment because the plaintiff wins the case by “default.” We recommend making sure you attend the hearing regardless of whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant (regardless of whether you think the case is good or bad).

Locations for Douglas County Small Claims Court

The magistrate court for Douglas County is located at:

8700 Hospital Drive

Douglasville, GA 30134

It can be reached by telephone at: 770-920-7528. The fax number is . The magistrate judge is Chief Magistrate Susan S. Camp.

How do I prepare for the hearing?

We recommend taking the following steps to prepare for your hearing:

• Ensure you have all copies of any documents you need for the case. You should make at least two additional sets of copies (one for the court and one for the other party).
• Communicate with any witnesses you intend to call to prove your case. Confirm they are available on the day of the hearing.
• If a witness will not agree to appear, you need to subpoena them.
• If you need additional documents for your case, you can issue a subpoena for those documents to obtain documents from other parties.
• A subpoena is a documnt which can be completed by you and issued by the court which commands a person to appear in court and may require them to bring certain documents to court as well.

A subpoena can be obtained from the clerk’s office of the Magistrate Court for Douglas County.

Can the Defendant sue the Plaintiff?

The defendant is able to sue the plaintiff (this is called a counterclaim). The defendant can file a counterclaim against the plantiff’s original claim if it is related to it, and the total money claimed by the defendant is less than $15,000. The counterclaim of the defendant is generally heard by the magistrate court at the same time as the plaintiff’s initial claim.

How do I appeal a judgment?

If you are not happy with the court’s decision (and generally at least one party, sometimes both, are not satisfied with the judgment), the party may file an appeal (or ask a higher court to review the judgment). The appeal is heard in the state or superior court of Douglas County. On the appeal, either party may request a jury trial (something you cannot have at the magistrate court level). The appeal needs to be filed within thirty days of the court’s decision.

Do I need to hire an attorney?

You may hire an attorney but you are not required to. You are able to file the case on your own completely without the assistance of an attorney. These cases are tried and heard in front of a judge, without a jury (again, they are designed so a party does not need to retain an expensive attorney to represent them in a case). Some courts utilize mediation as a tool to resolve a case without the time and expense of a trial. Some counties will even require a case to attempt to be settled at mediation prior to it being set for trial.

What types of cases are filed in Douglas County Small Claims Court?

Here are examples of cases that are often found in small claims court:

• Tenant does not and will not pay for damages caused to rental which are in excess of security deposit
• A landlord wants to evict a tenant for failure to pay rent
• Landlord fails to return the security deposit to the tenant
• A merchant refuses to repair, replace, or refund faulty merchandise
• Borrower refuses to pay back money which was loaned
• Business loses or damages personal property and refuses to pay
• Unnecessary repairs or work done on a car by a mechanic

What is a default judgment and why is it bad?

When a defendant fails to appear at the hearing or respond to the claim, the court can grant a default judgment. If a default judgment is entered, the plaintiff is awarded the amount that was requested in the claim along with court costs. If the plaintiff is asking for non-monetary damages (like property), the court has to conduct a separate hearing to determine the dollar amount of the damages. The defendant has only thirty days to respond to the claim. If the defendant fails to respond, the defendant is in default.

Is Douglas County the “proper” County for my case?

If the defendant is a person, the case must be filed in the County where they live. If the defendant is a corporation, the claim must be filed in the county of the registered agent for the company. In order to find the registered agent for service of process, contact the contact the Corporations Division of the Secretary of State either online or at 404-656-2817. If you are suing an unincorporated business, you must file the case where the business is physically located. If the business is in Douglas County, you can file here.
The plaintiff must also pay a filing fee. The filing fee includes the cost to serve one defenant. The actual filing fee varies amongst counties but is usually between $45 and $55. If an additional defendant is named in the action, there is an extra charge for serving the additional party. The extra charge is usually between $25 to $35 and caries by county.
The Clerk for the Magistrate Court can direct you to the necessary forms (and review them for completeness) but is prohibited by law from giving legal advice. A clerk would be able to review your forms to make sure there is a signature in the appropriate blanks but will not be able to tell you which party you should sue. Also, the clerk will not be able to tell you if they think you will win.




Small Claims courts are also called Magistrate Courts in Douglas County. These courts are used to resolve disputes if the parties are unable to resolve the dispute.
Small Claims courts handle cases where the amount in dispute is less than $15,000.00. Because of this, the disputes in this court are handled quickly and inexpensively.

What are the procedures for filing a case?

The plaintiff (or person filing the action) needs to file a sworn statement with the magistrate court clerk in the proper county. The sworn statement simply spells out the claims made against the defenant and includes the facts on which the claim is based. At a minimum, the sworn statement should include the following facts:

• As the plaintiff, include your name, address, and telephone number (and your attorney’s if you retain one)(This is to ensure the court and other parties can contact you should the need arise).
• Name and street address of the defendant (this is what the court uses to serve the defendant)
• Amount of money plaintiff is seeking (sometimes called damages)
• Brief, succint statement detailing why the defendant is being sued (include dates of all relevant events)
• Copies of all relevant documents regarding the claim (for example, any contracts, receipts, etc.)