[issa]

Back in my freelance days I had a client who refused to pay. I took him to small claims court and won. Actually collected the money.

- small claims court is very easy and relatively quick. no need for a lawyer.

- there is a cap on the amount, so I won $10k, not the full amount owed. But close enough and much better than $0.

- make every reasonable attempt to resolve this prior to filing but, as stated throughout this thread, do not stress yourself out. This should be a fire-and-forget process. Consider the money lost, and if you win, it's just bonus.

[alsetmusic]

> Consider the money lost, and if you win, it's just bonus.

I think this is the most important part of the advice. Treat it like a gambling budget that you can lose without feeling bad about it. I know that’s harder to do retroactively than setting aside $200 in chips to play cards, but start adjusting your finances now for that possibility.

I was in this position only once and the person who ripped me off got away with it because the amount of my time spent was small enough that it wasn’t worth pursuing, so I’m not a great example of success in this area. But I’m still mad about the fact that I was treated that way and switching to an “it’s gone” mindset helped me process my emotions about it. My anger is now principled rather than emotional.

[Supermancho]

If you can do small claims, you should. I have won and lost in small claims, but it's very simple. A matter of filling out some paperwork and an hour or two (unusual) in court.

[Alupis]

Simply winning at Small Claims Court does not guarantee you win money. Often collecting the money is difficult, impossible, or too expensive.

[Spooky23]

It depends on the scenario. I had an issue with a notorious tow service in my city, won a few thousand dollars, and placed a lien on one of his trucks. After a diligent search, the only truck I could absolutely identity was a $150k recovery vehicle that printed money for him.

When we showed up with his competitor to tow his truck, he appeared with an envelope containing the full judgement in cash.

The guy was such an asshole, I would have gladly spent a few thousand dollars just to inflict pain and disruption upon him.

[SoftTalker]

Ignoring a court order to pay is a little more serious than ignoring an invoice. The latter is a civil claim, I would guess the former might be criminal.