California Small Claims Guides

Small Estate Affidavit in California: Claim Ban...

Lelia Fackler

When an estate's personal property is worth $208,850 or less, California lets you collect bank accounts, a final paycheck, and belongings with a small estate affidavit under Probate Code 13100,...

Small Estate Affidavit in California: Claim Ban...

Lelia Fackler

When an estate's personal property is worth $208,850 or less, California lets you collect bank accounts, a final paycheck, and belongings with a small estate affidavit under Probate Code 13100,...

How to Transfer a House in California After a P...

Lelia Fackler

A 2024 law called AB 2016 opened a shorter path for the family home. If a parent's primary residence is worth $750,000 or less, you can usually transfer it with...

How to Transfer a House in California After a P...

Lelia Fackler

A 2024 law called AB 2016 opened a shorter path for the family home. If a parent's primary residence is worth $750,000 or less, you can usually transfer it with...

Do You Need Probate in California? The Simplifi...

Lelia Fackler

Most California estates have a shortcut around full probate. Here are the four simplified paths, the 2025 dollar limits, and how to tell which one fits, plus a free Probate...

Do You Need Probate in California? The Simplifi...

Lelia Fackler

Most California estates have a shortcut around full probate. Here are the four simplified paths, the 2025 dollar limits, and how to tell which one fits, plus a free Probate...

Suing Your Landlord in California Small Claims ...

Lelia Fackler

When a landlord keeps your deposit without a proper reason, California gives the renter specific ways to recover a security deposit. In bad-faith cases the court can award up to...

Suing Your Landlord in California Small Claims ...

Lelia Fackler

When a landlord keeps your deposit without a proper reason, California gives the renter specific ways to recover a security deposit. In bad-faith cases the court can award up to...

How to Fill Out California's SC-100 Small Claim...

Lelia Fackler

A section-by-section walkthrough of California's SC-100 Plaintiff's Claim and Order. What goes in each box, the common mistakes, the fee waiver option, and what happens after you file.

How to Fill Out California's SC-100 Small Claim...

Lelia Fackler

A section-by-section walkthrough of California's SC-100 Plaintiff's Claim and Order. What goes in each box, the common mistakes, the fee waiver option, and what happens after you file.

"A closed silver laptop and a closed sage leather notebook on a sunlit white kitchen counter, illustrating how to keep your California small claims case private when using ChatGPT or Claude after the Heppner ruling

Are Your ChatGPT Chats Private? What the Heppne...

Lelia Fackler

On Feb 10, 2026, a federal judge in New York ruled that ChatGPT conversations may not be protected the way private notes or attorney emails are. The case wasn't small...

Are Your ChatGPT Chats Private? What the Heppne...

Lelia Fackler

On Feb 10, 2026, a federal judge in New York ruled that ChatGPT conversations may not be protected the way private notes or attorney emails are. The case wasn't small...