The small claims process

This process is a joke.  You will eventually get screwed. Meaning you will get stiffed by a customer.  You can pay the fees to take them to small claims court.  This is usually a few hundred dollars.  However, be prepared to wait a year or even two years before your day in court.

You can also piss off the customer by suing them and they end up counter suing you.  Now if they don’t show up to court you get a default judgement.  If you don’t show up, they get the default judgement.  Make sure you have every single bit of documentation possible.  This includes pictures, before and after the work, and even during the work process to cover your ass.  You need to have all emails, phone calls, voice messages, and text messages. 

When the job goes south, do your best to keep communication in written form.  Phone calls come down to he said, she said.  For big dollar amounts you may want to hire a lawyer to go with you.  If you show up without a lawyer and the customer shows up with a lawyer, you can kiss your claim goodbye.  You are also at the mercy of the judge. In my experience the one judge that I had the privilege of going to court with was more about whether he liked you or didn’t like you.  He also favored the defendant that had a lawyer.  Talk about shit luck.  Don’t count on the judicial system to help you.  Even if you do get a judgement, you will not get paid.  There are no consequences for those who don’t pay. 

The process is useless. Winning in court doesn't result in getting paid. I have never been paid. There are no laws to protect the contractor. I have yet to find a single lawyer to chase down a customer for payment on a judgement. The people that steal from you don't go to jail. Hell, you can go to your local Walmart and steal 30 dollars worth of groceries an you will get arrested. The judicial system is simply a joke.