Because of the coronavirus COVID-19, the Trial Court, which includes Small Claims Court, has made some new rules:
- POSTPONED COURT DATES: All pending Small Claims cases are postponed until no earlier than Monday, May 4, 2020.
That means if your Small Claims case is currently scheduled for any date before May 4, 2020, you do NOT have to go to court. If a debt collector wants a telephone (rather than in-person) hearing before May 4, 2020, they must file a motion showing why they want an earlier date. You should receive notice of any new court date by mail. If you don’t receive notice of a new date, you can look up your case file online at www.masscourts.org or call the court where your case is scheduled.
- DO NOT SIGN AN AGREEMENT TO PAY WITHOUT LEGAL ADVICE.
The attorney for the company suing you might reach out to you urging you to sign an agreement to pay outside of court. We strongly urge you to get advice before signing any agreement, even one that does not require you to make payments now. You may have defenses in these cases and the company suing you cannot force you to make payments without a court order.
Please do not sign an agreement without consulting an attorney.
Thank you and stay safe!