How does small claims court work in Louisiana?

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1. Jurisdictional Limit    La. R.S. 13:5200 caps the Small Claims Division jurisdiction at $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs. Louisiana is unique as the only civil law jurisdiction in the U.S.    2. Court Name    Small Claims Division of the City Court, Parish Court, or Justice of the Peace Court, depending on the parish.    3. Filing Fee    Filing fees vary by court, typically $100-$200 plus service costs of $25-$50 per defendant. Indigent filers may petition for in forma pauperis status under La. C.C.P. art. 5181.    4. Filing the Claim    File a Petition in the parish where the defendant is domiciled, where the obligation was performed or to be performed, or where the wrongful conduct occurred (La. C.C.P. art. 42; La. R.S. 13:5202). Service is performed by the sheriff (La. C.C.P. art. 1231) or by certified mail when authorized.    5. Defendant's Response    Defendants must file an Answer or appearance within 15 days of service in city/parish small claims divisions (or as set by local rules). Failure to answer permits a default judgment after a prima facie showing (La. C.C.P. art. 1702).    6. Attorney Representation    Attorneys are permitted on both sides (La. R.S. 13:5204). Corporations and LLCs may appear through a duly authorized agent or officer in the Small Claims Division (La. R.S. 13:5204(B)).    7. Hearing    Hearings before the city/parish/justice court judge are informal; the Louisiana Code of Evidence is relaxed (La. R.S. 13:5203). Judges actively develop the record.    8. Judgment & Collection    Critically, La. R.S. 13:5206 provides that small claims judgments are generally NOT appealable; the judgment is final. To preserve appeal rights, either party may, before trial, request transfer to the regular city/parish court docket. Collection tools include writs of fieri facias under La. C.C.P. art. 2291, wage garnishment under La. R.S. 13:3921 (subject to 25% federal cap and Louisiana exemptions), and judicial mortgages recorded under La. C.C. art. 3299 to create a lien on immovable property.    9. Statute of Limitations (Prescription)    Louisiana uses "prescription" terminology under its Civil Code. Standard prescriptive periods: 10 years for contracts and personal actions (La. C.C. art. 3499), 3 years for open accounts (La. C.C. art. 3494), 1 year for delicts/torts including personal injury and property damage (La. C.C. art. 3492), and 1 year for fraud claims based on delict.  This is legal information, not legal advice.