The judge decides if one party must pay the costs of the lawsuit for the other party. Your judgment can include fees paid to the Marshal and the Court. Your judgment will not include fees paid to the special process server to serve the defendant. See SCR-SC 15(a). Certain judgments include payment of interest on the amount owed. See DC Code § 15-109. The judgment interest rate is the legal or statutory rate of interest, unless the claim is based on a contract that states another rate. The legal or statutory interest rate is available in the Small Claims Clerk’s Office (Court Building B, Room 120) and on the internet at http://www.dccourts.gov/dccourts/superior/civil/index.jsp. Judgments against the District of Columbia or its employees or officers can not include an interest rate of more than 4% per year. If the action is based on a contract, the judgment interest rate is the rate stated in the contract, from the date it was due and payable, until paid. See DC Code §§ 28-3302 and 15-108.

The Superior Court adopted a privacy rule, SCR 5(f)(1), which applies to most divisions, requiring that the filer redact or remove from the public record the following information: Social Security numbers, dates of birth, financial account numbers and names of minors. If you need to include such information in a particular filing, a motion should be filed seeking permission to file the unredacted filing under seal and, upon approval by the court, a redacted copy can then be submitted, in paper, under seal.

After a writ of restitution has been filed in the Landlord and Tenant clerk's office and the US Marshal has not evicted the tenant within the applicable 75 days, only an additional $18.00 is required for a second writ of restitution, $8.00 for the US Marshal fee and $10 for the clerk's. Any questions regarding eviction procedures must be directed to the US marshal. The US marshal's office is located on the C level in the main building of the H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse. Only a landlord and tenant judge may set aside the $10 clerk's fee.

You should bring a copy of the Notice to Correct and/or Vacate in English and Spanish, for cases brought against tenants for any reason, except non-payment of rent cases and drug haven cases. (A landlord may be required to give a tenant a notice to quit prior to filing a non-payment of rent case, but you are not required to bring it to court to file the lawsuit. If you are not sure whether you are required to serve a notice to quit, you should seek legal advice or information from a private attorney or the Landlord and Tenant Resource Center.) The Landlord and Tenant Clerk's Office supplies the complaint form, which is filled out once you arrive at the courthouse.

In most small claims cases, defendants are not required to file an answer, plea, or other defense(s) in writing. Instead, defendants can just tell the judge why they disagree that they owe some or all of the money the plaintiff is suing for when they are in court.

Yes. Please review the General Order for Civil Cases and individual judges' supplements.

"Service of process" is how each defendant is given a copy of the statement of claim and supporting documents. You must serve most Small Claims Branch statement of claims upon the defendant(s) within sixty (60) days of filing the original statement of claim. In collection and subrogation cases only, you have 180 days to serve the defendant(s).

An x-ray box may be used demonstrate your injuries to the judge. The Court has an x-ray box which you can use if it is available. If it is not available, you must supply your own. It cannot be reserved. Availability is on a first come, first served basis. You must contact Central Recording by e-mail, two business days before the hearing, at CourtroomTechnology [at] dcsc.gov to request use of x-ray box.

The Superior Court does not collect or pay the judgment award to the winning party. The winning party must collect the money judgment that was ordered by the judge. Legal action to collect a money judgment cannot be done until ten business days after the clerk dockets or enters the judgment on its official record. If the losing party does not pay the winning party, the winning party may apply for a writ of attachment on a judgment. A writ of attachment is a form issued by the Court that allows the winning party to get monies from the losing party's wages and/or bank account and other property owed to the winning party. Only one writ of attachment may be issued against a person's wages at a time. You must apply for the writ of attachment in the Small Claims Clerk’s Office.

If you think that another party needs to be added to your case so that the judge can hear all relevant issues, you must comply with Superior Court Rules 14 or 19 and the person(s) must be served within 100 miles from the place of the hearing or trial. SCR-Civ. 4(k)(1)(B).