Small claims court was established to help people handle cases involving money ($5,000 or less, not including costs) by themselves and without a lawyer.
Detailed information on the small claims court and the process of pursuing a small claims case can be found by clicking the link for the ‘Missouri Small Claims Court Handbook’
In order to file a small claims action, the following forms will need to be completed:
Additional forms for small claims court can be found here.
Please note: The above forms are fillable forms and most compatible with the Adobe Acrobat software. If you do not currently have Adobe Acrobat on your device, the software is free to download at http://get.adobe.com/reader. The forms will need to be saved to a location outside of this site, failure to do so will likely lead to a loss of information and require starting over.
The Filing Fee is $35.50 payable to the Lawrence County Circuit Court. The first attempt to serve the defendant is by certified mail and the service fee will be $16.50 per defendant, and should be included with the costs of filing; No personal checks will be accepted as payment.
If the defendant is unable to be served by certified mail then personal service can be attempted by the Sheriff’s Office in the county the defendant(s) resides. Please contact their office for service fee and mileage information. Payment to their office will need to be made separately.
Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department
417-466-2131
Completed forms, along with required fees can be brought in person (recommended), or mailed to:
Lawrence County Circuit Court
Small Claims
240 N. Main, Ste. 110
Mt. Vernon, MO 65712
NOTE: The clerks are here to assist, however, please note it is a violation of the law for clerks to give legal advice. Please avoid asking questions of that nature. If legal advice is needed, please contact an attorney.
