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.

If you want your face to look less fat, you need to lose fat overall. Spot reduction of fat is not possible to accomplish with diet alone. Eat fewer calories throughout the day, so that your body will use up fat as stored energy. If you do that, you will lose weight in the face too. Luckily, if you want a slimmer face, your body goes after the fat first in the neck, jaw and face. So if you cut down on calories but do it in a healthy manner, you should have a less full face in no time. You need to create a caloric deficit. It takes about 3,500 calories burned to lose a single pound. You will burn some calories every day just by living and breathing. You need to burn more than you take in to lose weight. Effective weight loss occurs gradually. Cutting calories in a healthy manner means eliminating some calories say 500 a day, through diet or exercise without completely depriving your body of food. Instead, make healthier food choices or start slow, say by eliminating that morning doughnut from your diet. Not eating at all is medically unsafe. It also could put your body in starvation mode, which will actually reduce your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight. There are many reasons that it's a good idea to drink a lot of water throughout the day, but one of them is that it will reduce bloating in your face. The reason water helps reduce face fat is because it flushes toxins out of your body. Thus, it also increases your overall health. It will also improve the look of your skin and hair. Drinking cold water will burn extra calories. Drinking 64 ounces of water per day is a good target to strive for. Keeping the body constantly hydrated will make you feel better, and it should make your face look more slender over time. A diet that is low in processed foods and refined flour (like white bread and pasta) will be healthier for you. Instead, try to eat a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, foods with fiber, fish, and other protein rich foods. Try not to eat food with a lot of salt (avoid junk food as it's loaded with salt). Salt encourages your body to retain more water, so it will bloat your face. Sugar is also linked to a fatter face. Processed carbs with a lot of sugar in them are going to cause face bloat. Although people who are underage should not drink alcohol, another negative side effect of alcohol is that it causes the face to bloat by dehydrating the body. Some good food choices include almonds, broccoli, spinach, and salmon. Sometimes food allergies or intolerance are to blame for a fuller face. See a doctor if you think you might have one. As an example, some people have sensitivity to gluten and would benefit from eating gluten-free foods. Many restaurants and grocery stores are including gluten-free options these days. Some people with irritable bowel syndrome sometimes think their faces are fuller as a result. Gastrointestinal disorders are fairly common, affecting about 15 percent of adults. It's also possible that hormones are causing your face to look fuller, such as PMS (or in older women, peri-menopause).
Summary: Get rid of overall body fat. Drink a lot of water to keep the body fully hydrated. Eat the right foods for a healthier diet. Determine whether you have food intolerance.