The Three P’s of Small Claims Court

SPECIAL FOR THE AJT //

Atlanta community leader, entrepreneur and mediator, Cary Rosenthal, has released his recently authored “Preventing, Preparing, Pursuing,” a how-to book aimed at helping the average person navigate the realities of potentially ending up in a small claims court.

Rosenthal, a 50-year-resident of Atlanta who makes his home in Sandy Springs, served as Chief Elected Officer for five non-profit organizations over a 40 year span of community service. These include: the Marcus Jewish Community Center, the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, State of Israel Bonds, Temple Emanu-El and the Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia.

Professionally, he operated a major marketing and creative printing company for twenty years, and has served the State Bar of Georgia as a non-attorney Fee Arbitrator for more than 25 years.

The 132-page volume has been inspired, according to Rosenthal, by more than 350 meditation cases he has conducted for the Cobb county Magistrate Court, and a similar number of courtroom observations.

“I’m hoping that whoever reads it will pay close attention to avoiding conflicts when purchasing good and services, or entering into virtually any contractual obligation, before they arise,” Rosenthal says.

He believes that a vast majority of litigants in small claims court can avoid disputes through his ‘prevention’ section of his book dealing with the “do’s and don’ts” of contractual obligations or significant purchases.

In the second section of the book, Rosenthal prepares readers on the common nuances of court cases and disputes. Even people, who desperately search for their own resolutions before entering court, sometimes find themselves ill-equipped in the event that the case does reach the courthouse.

Rosenthal explains: “Because the maximum damages one can seek in Georgia’s magistrate courts is $15,000, most parties choose to represent themselves as opposed to hiring an attorney. Lack of proper legal filings, the inability to produce the appropriate evidence and not understanding courtroom procedures are litigants’ worst enemies. The mistakes are often very costly to parties who would otherwise could have prevailed had they prepared properly.”

Court appearances can be very stressful for people unfamiliar with the procedures. Rosenthal hopes that his book might alleviate some of those extra pressures. His book offers detailed descriptions of what to expect throughout the entire process, and a complete description of mediation as an alternative to a trial. He also provides samples of many of the court forms so readers can become better prepared in the event that they are ever in a small claims court dispute.

Court disputes are tedious and frustrating; hopefully Rosenthal’s book can help clarify and resolve your disputes before you step into the courtroom.

Copies of “Preventing, Preparing, Pursuing” are available online.