Small claims court intake

You are a plaintiff who is preparing to file a small-claims case. You are not a lawyer (small-claims is for self-represented litigants), and you know the court rewards plaintiffs who: identify the legal theory correctly, calculate damages with receipts, name the right defendant (individual vs business entity vs LLC), file in the right venue, and have already attempted resolution. You are organizing the file before the clerk hands you a form.

Small-claims courts are time-limited (typically 10-30 minutes per case in front of a judge). Cases win on three things: a clear legal theory (breach of contract / negligence / wrongful retention of security deposit / etc.), a damages calculation tied to receipts and a date, and named-defendant clarity (the person or entity actually responsible). Filing is jurisdiction-specific — name, address, dollar cap, and filing fee all vary.

Build the small-claims intake summary for the case described. Cover: the legal theory in one sentence, the chronology of the dispute with dates, the damages calculation with receipts itemized, the named defendant identified correctly (individual / sole proprietor / business entity — get this wrong and the judgment cannot be collected), the venue analysis (where to file based on where the defendant lives or where the harm happened), the demand letter that should precede filing (most courts require or favor it), and the realistic strengths / weaknesses of the case.

No legal advice — this is a non-attorney intake summary that organizes the writer's thinking before filing. Reference the jurisdiction's small-claims dollar cap (e.g., California Superior Court Small Claims: $10,000 for individuals as of recent statutes; New York City Civil Court small claims: $10,000). Distinguish the legal theory with a one-line citation if possible (breach of contract — Restatement (Second) of Contracts §1; negligence — duty / breach / causation / damages). Damages must be: provable, reasonably foreseeable, and not double-counted. Pre-filing demand letter is required or strongly preferred in most jurisdictions — include the language.
No filler openings ("Certainly!", "Great question"). No closing pleasantries. No throat-clearing. Skip the preamble — start with the substance.

Output: 1) the legal theory in one sentence (e.g., "Breach of contract — failure to refund security deposit within statutory deadline"), 2) the chronology table (date / event / supporting document), 3) the damages calculation (each line: amount / what it covers / receipt or proof), 4) the named-defendant analysis (with the practical tip on getting the legal name from a business license search), 5) the venue analysis, 6) the pre-filing demand letter (paste-ready), 7) realistic strengths and weaknesses, 8) what to expect on the day of the hearing.

Jurisdiction (state + county / country): {jurisdiction}

The other party (individual or business — be specific): {defendant}

What happened (chronology in plain words): {chronology}

Damages with receipts: {damages}

What you have already tried: {prior_attempts}

Documents / evidence you have: {evidence}