Many civil legal
disputes in Arizona can be handled in Justice Court, where the
amount in dispute cannot exceed $10,000. Justice Courts also
handle most forcible detainer (
landlord/tenant) actions for possession of real property and
injunctions against harassment. Unfortunately, unlike Small
Claims Court where the procedures are simplified and
specfically designed to make it easy for a pro se litigant to
present his case, it can be difficult for a self-represented
individual to obtain the relief he or she is seeking in Justice
Court.
After handling
dozens of Justice Court cases and observing that the legal fees
frequently exceeded the cost of recovery, Kevin Harper decided
to design a more cost-effective solution for clients seeking
damages of $10,000 or less in the Justice Court setting. In
lieu of charging a customary hourly fee, Harper Law will handle
most Justice Court cases, from beginning to end, for a
reasonable flat fee. In many cases, the prevailing party will
also be awarded attorneys' fees and costs, which may entitle
you to recover these expenses from the opposing party at the
end of the case. Of course, if you do not prevail you may have
to pay the other side's fees and costs.
Forcible Detainer
actions and Injunction Against Harassment actions can also
usually be handled in the Maricopa County Justice Courts for a
low fixed fee.
In our experience,
these flat fees are a much more cost-effective option than a
customary hourly fee. Of course, some smaller cases or cases
where collection is doubtful may not merit the cost of
retaining an attorney - even at this reduced fee schedule. We
hope, however, that by offering flat fee services for Justice
Court litigation some individuals and businesses that otherwise
could not afford an Arizona attorney will have an opportunity
to have their case presented by an experienced
lawyer.
Unfortunately, we
are not usually able to offer flat fee services for Superior
Court or Federal Court litigation because, unlike Justice
Court, it is nearly impossible to predict the amount of work
that will be required in any individual case. For more
information on Harper Law's fee structure, please visit
our Fees page.
