I filed a claim case in small claim court 20 yrs ago and won, 3 X the disputed amount, without lawyer's help. Did it all by myself. I remember the filing fee was very small, like $27, the dispute was landlord refused to return security deposit after I moved out of an apartment. I went to pub lib, researched the topic, found the apt owner, took pics, sent registered mail to document attempt to settle dispute in 'good faith'....it is a full time job. It is something I would call sweet bitter victory. The bottom line, is the amount in dispute worth the effort or are you able to spend that amount of time? The most difficult part of this process....to find the court that has jurisdiction over the matter. My case almost got thrown out of court as the defense lawyer attempted to claim the district has NO jurisdiction over the owner.

Bottomline, it is easier to say than done.

bun