From the Fort Knox Legal Assistance Office
Legal Briefs
SMALL CLAIMS COURT
Can Small Claims Court Help Me?
If you and your legal assistance attorney are unable to resolve your money-related case, small claims court may
be your next avenue of approach to find an effective resolution to your situation. For cases where someone owes you a
relatively small amount of money, or for cases that involve the rendering of low-cost personal services, small claims
court provides you the forum to acquire a court judgment. That judgment can require the other person to pay you what
he owes, or in other words, to make the situation right. In small claims court you have the opportunity to stand-up for
yourself, and to do so without the time and cost normally associated with a lawsuit. You can handle it on your own
without hiring a civilian attorney, and you can get that win you’re looking for.
Procedures:
Small claims court provides a simplified procedure for recovering money damages. To initiate your claim, you
should contact the office of the circuit court clerk for the county where the person who owes you money lives. For
persons living on Fort Knox, Hardin County actually has two courthouses that can assist you. The Radcliff courthouse
is located off of West Lincoln Trail Boulevard (parallel to Wal-Mart). The clerk’s office is on the second floor of the
building. The Elizabethtown courthouse is located just off of the town circle. The clerk’s office is on the building’s
first floor. It costs $38.00 (an $18.00 filing fee plus a $20.00 fee for the sheriff to serve your claim on the named
defendant). You pay the $18.00 at the clerk’s office and the separate $20.00 at the sheriff’s office. A deputy clerk can
help you fill-out (in duplicate) a small claims complaint stating the circumstances of your case. With that, you can
recover up to $1,500.00.
The defendant you name is served with notice of your claim and is informed of the date and time to appear.
Keep in mind the defendant