Since you can’t have an attorney represent you in small claims court, the next best thing is to get solid legal advice that you can present to the judge (along with your presentation folder). Mr. Carlson’s Web site (www.caltenantlaw.com) includes a list of California attorneys who specialize in landlord tenant law; this is a good starting place if you live in California. Otherwise, you can Google search “landlord tenant” and “attorney” and the state in which you live to find an attorney.

If you are suing or being sued in superior court instead of small claims court, you require an attorney. Since attorneys charge by the hour, you may want to create your presentation folder before retaining an attorney, so that you’ll have a solid amount of evidence the attorney can work from. Organization is key: for example, instead of asking your attorney which laws the landlord violated, if you show up prepared, you can tell the attorney which laws the landlord violated! That’s being proactive, and even when working with an attorney you’ll have a better chance of winning in court if you are educated in these matters. You’ll be better prepared and you’ll save money. The more work you do, the less work you pay your attorney to do, and the greater your chance of winning in court. After all, no one is going to care as much as you do about recovering your money.