In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: The first step in the small claims process is to evaluate your potential case. The question to ask here is whether someone owes you money and is refusing to pay. Generally, you can bring civil cases for disputes that don't involve a large amount of money. If you do end up suing someone, you become the plaintiff and the person you are suing is the defendant. Many types of cases can be heard in small claims court. For example, the return of security deposit or a payment dispute over broken or damaged property. Other cases involve breach of a written or verbal contract. In your case, figure out how much money you are owed and by whom. Also consider why they owe you that money. In some counties, small claims courts review evictions and other landlord-tenant matters. If you're dealing with such issues, you'll have to find out what the laws in your area are if you are trying to evict a tenant. Depending on the complexity of your case, you may want to consider contacting an attorney. In some states, you can't have a lawyer in small claims court. You may ask a lawyer for advice before you go to small claims court, though. If you need more guidance, you may contact a lawyer through your state bar association. State and county bar associations often offer free referral services to qualified local attorneys, and may also offer free consultations with attorneys that specialize in the legal issues relevant to your case. A "demand letter" is a formal letter demanding monetary payment or some other action from another party. Send a demand letter to the person who owes you money. This will cost a little more, but will create a legal record of the fact that your letter was delivered. A demand letter should explain what payment or action you are seeking. It should make it clear why you are seeking the payment or particular action. It should also specify a time limit for payment or performing the particular action. Although not required, a demand letter is an attempt to settle that matter without taking formal legal action. In some cases, just the threat of a lawsuit can cause the person you are considering suing to pay you. Because of the financial and emotional costs of filing a lawsuit, try to use small claims court as a last resort, not as your first option. Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). ADR is a tool you can consider to get the money the other party owes you without a lawsuit. You can suggest to the other party that a third party mediate your conflict. You can do so in the demand letter or at any point during the process: Mediation is a process of negotiation where all sides state their case to an impartial third party. This mediator then issues a judgment about who owes what to whom. In some states, courts offer mediation as a free or low-cost service. Mediation is also quicker than bringing a suit in court. Parties often share the cost of hiring a neutral mediator, which will vary based on the mediator and complexity of the case. This person will assist them in working out a mutually agreeable outcome. The process includes an evaluation by a neutral third-party, negotiation, and mediation. ADR is often less adversarial, more efficient and less expensive than formal legal processes. Arbitration is another form of ADR. Arbitration allows parties to litigate the dispute without going to court. Arbitration may be binding or non-binding. If the parties agree to binding arbitration, they waive their right to a trial. In doing so, they agree to accept the arbitrator's decision as final. Non-binding arbitration means the parties may request a trial if they do not accept the arbitrator's decision. Your local county court may have more information about both mediation and arbitration. If you decide to take your claim to court, you should spend some time studying several important topics. Learn how much money you can ask for in small claims court. State law determines the amount. The rule of thumb is that you should be asking for less than $10,000 in small claims court. Some states, such as Alabama, offer you a maximum of $3,000 in small claims. Other states, such as Tennessee, offer up to $25,000. If you believe you are owed more than your state's laws permit, you can't file your case in small claims court. In that case, you have two options. You could lower the amount of money you're asking for to have your case fit into small claims guidelines. Or you could pursue the case in a higher court. Pursuing the case in a higher court requires legal advice. It will also result in more fees and could take up to several years for a hearing.
Summary: Review the facts of your case to be certain you have grounds for a lawsuit. Consider consulting a lawyer. Mail a letter via certified mail demanding payment. Consider mediation. Consider arbitration. Familiarize yourself with your state's laws governing small claims cases.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: The basis of any great relationship is the foundation that you build it on. Knowing each other as friends first is a great way to earn trust slowly as you the relationship develops organically. Having a strong friendship as a core to your relationship will help you tell each other everything and give time and attention to each other easily while looking forward to being with each other. Give your partner the best gift of friendship, the gift of total and complete acceptance. Accept her as she is without expecting anything in return to strengthen your relationship by strengthening your friendship. Your word is your bond, so when you say things or make promises, make sure that you are a man of action. If you are not able to, don't promise or it will cause more hurt than anything. Promises could be small or large in perspective but realize that making a promise is long term and can affect both you and her future. If you tell your girlfriend you will make it to her birthday celebration, be there. If you offer to help her move her things to a new place, do that. Words and actions that match establish trust. Truth sometimes hurts, but its pain is temporary compared to pain from lies or betrayal. Gain your partner's trust by being 100% truthful 100% of the time. Honesty fosters trust in relationships. A lie is a lie, big or small. Rethink telling her that you were with your guy friends the other night when you were really with a girl from class as a part of study group. Never answer a question with a lie. Betrayal, even the smallest kind, can derail a relationship and cause your girlfriend to distrust you completely, especially if it touches on a scar from a past relationship that hasn't yet healed. And it is hard to recover from. Healthy relationships are a result of healthy, honest communication. It's always better to hear firsthand what happened, and to seek forgiveness then. Being open extends to letting her know pertinent information as well. Not presenting facts from the start makes you look deceptive and like you were hiding something. Even something small could look ten times worse if you aren't honest about it from the start. Keeping your girlfriend in the loop to support you during challenges is equally important in moments of joy as well. Not only will you feel like you matter, but she'll feel like she matters too because you share those special moments, like getting a promotion or receiving an acceptance letter from a school you've been dying to get into, with you too. Dealing with someone with trust issues means dealing with suspicion if you leave out certain details. Grabbing an innocent cup of coffee with a female friend can raise suspicions for a girlfriend having trouble with trust if you gloss over details and she has to hear it from someone else. Just be forthcoming and, on the day of, state: "I'm grabbing coffee with Sasha today. Cool?" It is a simple way to be honest while showing her that her opinion matters at the same time. If you aren't hiding, she doesn't need to be unnecessarily concerned so keep her up to date on what you're doing with the opposite sex, even if you are just friends.
Summary:
Prioritize friendship over all else. Follow through and be a man of your word. Always tell the truth. Communicate with her to let her know about your ups and downs. Involve your girlfriend in your day to day.