How to find the right laws for your small claims case

Table of contents

Start by googling a few keywords

At the beginning of your research, you may not know much. Don’t expect to find the perfect result on the first page. Do expect to spend a few minutes trying out different combinations of words to see what works and what doesn’t.

Sometimes, combining search terms, such as “landlord” and “tenant” may bring up more relevant results than either of the terms on their own.

Click on the links in the articles you read

If you come across a great written resource, they’ve probably been sure to document where they found helpful information. Even if they’re a subject matter expert, they may have written about something that they haven’t written about yet and link to it. They might also link to other subject matter experts, similar organizations, and more.

Try using google’s site search feature

You can use google to only search on one site. While that might not be useful at the beginning, it’s great when you’ve already found a good resource and want to easily look at the other things that might be relevant to you.

To limit your search results to a particular website, such as getdispute.com, start by writing ‘site:website.com’ and then entering the relevant keywords, such as sign up, get help, or guides.

**Take good and accurate notes. **

Good notes don’t only summarize the information you find. They also let you know where you found the information, when, and how. That way, you can easily find the information again. Keep track of URLs, the names of organizations, and the laws that they reference.

If eligible, consult with a legal aid organization

Legal aid organizations, such as the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, offer free legal help. Although there are eligibility requirements (like being low-income), they are also great referral sources for other organizations that you may be eligible for, too.

Use your list of relevant laws and regulations to write your demand letter

Finally, reference the laws that apply directly to your situation in the demand letter. Be sure to explain how their actions violate the law, even if it seems obvious to you. It doesn’t hurt to spell it out.

For more information on writing a demand letter, consult our guide on how to write a great demand letter.