Court Preparation Tool

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Colorado · County Court - Small Claims (claims up to $7,500)

County Court - Small Claims (claims up to $7,500) — United States

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Format requirements for this court

Court and trackCounty Court - Small Claims (claims up to $7,500)
PaperLetter
Margins 1 inch · 1 inch · 1 inch · 1 inch
Type Times New Roman, 12 pt
Line spacing2
Paragraph numbering {n}.

Twelve point type, double spaced. Anything smaller is routinely questioned at the clerk's window.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

County Court - Small Claims (claims up to $7,500)

File in the county court for the county where the events happened or where the respondent lives. Letter paper, 1 inch margins, Times New Roman 12 point, double spaced, paragraphs numbered in sequence, a caption naming the court and the parties with their addresses, a signature block with name, address and telephone number, and a certificate of service.

USD 7,500 — Small claims in county court are limited to 7,500 US dollars, excluding interest and costs.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

District Court - Civil

A civil complaint with the caption required for district court, numbered paragraphs, a signature block with name, address and telephone number, an attachment index when documents are attached, and a certificate of service.

USD 0 — District court has no small-claims ceiling; the amount in controversy and the relief requested decide whether the case belongs there rather than in county court.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Filing checklist - what to bring, in how many copies, and why documents get returned.

  1. One signed original of the document, with numbered paragraphs and the caption completed.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  2. One copy for each other party plus one copy for the court file.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  3. The county court small-claims commencement document in the form the rules prescribe; ask the clerk which version your county uses.

    County court small claims commencement document (Notice, Claim and Summons under C.R.C.P. 306)

    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  4. The filing fee, or a motion to proceed without paying it if you cannot pay.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  5. Court name, county, your full name and street address, and the respondent's full name and street address.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  6. Signature in ink, with your printed name, address and telephone number beneath it.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  7. A certificate of service stating the date and the manner of delivery to every other party.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  8. Attachments numbered from 1, with an index page listing each attachment by number and name.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  9. If the claim rests on a written contract, a copy of the pages you are relying on.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
  10. Confirmation that you are filing in the county where the events happened or where the respondent lives.
    Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Why filings get sent back

The language you read here and the language of the documents are set separately.

Document language: English. This is set by the court, not by the language you are reading now.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Disclosure: what this document set is and is not

This document set was assembled by a document preparation service that organises the facts you supplied and applies the page format published by the court named above. The preparer is not a licensed attorney, is not acting as your representative in any court, and gives no legal advice and no opinion on which rule, position or claim applies to your situation. Colorado's policy on the unauthorized practice of law allows a document preparation service to prepare papers for a consumer only where it plainly discloses that it is not a licensed attorney and the consumer confirms the nature and the limits of the service, and this pack is built to that condition. By continuing you confirm that the preparer is not your attorney, that the service is limited to arranging your own facts and the court's page format, and that you must read every document before you file it. You remain responsible for the contents of each filing, for meeting every deadline, and for asking a licensed attorney about your own situation. The source list shows where each format rule comes from so you can check it yourself.

I have read this disclosure. I understand that the preparer is not a licensed attorney, that this set is a format and fact-organisation aid and not legal advice, and that no attorney has reviewed my documents.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Confirm you understand: citations are not verified

The system does not check whether a citation is real. You are responsible for checking each one in the official database: Colorado General Assembly statute search (leg.colorado.gov) and the Colorado Judicial Branch published opinions.

Colorado General Assembly statute search (leg.colorado.gov) and the Colorado Judicial Branch published opinions

Check this citation yourself: confirm that it exists, that it is still in force, and that no later amendment or decision has changed it.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.

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