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💰 Financial · Rex's Toolbox

Small Claims Worth-It Calculator

Expected value of suing after fees, time off work, and collection odds.

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Rex says

Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Result

Expected value of filing

$733

Probability-weighted recovery

$1,348

All-in cost to pursue

$615

Claim size needed to break even

$1,597

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How to use this

  1. 1Enter amount you are claiming ($).
  2. 2Enter chance of winning (%).
  3. 3Enter chance of collecting (%).
  4. 4Enter filing fee ($).
  5. 5Enter service + misc costs ($).
  6. 6Enter hours of work missed.
  7. 7Enter your hourly value ($).
  8. 8Read your expected value of filing on the right — it updates as you type.
  9. 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

Winning a judgment is not the same as getting paid. This weighs your claim by the probability of winning and the probability of actually collecting, then subtracts filing fees, service costs, and the wages you lose showing up.

FormulaEV = claim × P(win) × P(collect) − filing − service − (hours off × hourly wage).

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

  • Amount you are claiming: 3500 $
  • Chance of winning: 70 %
  • Chance of collecting: 55 %
  • Filing fee: 75 $
  • Service + misc costs: 60 $
  • Hours of work missed: 12
  • Your hourly value: 40 $

Results

  • Expected value of filing: $733
  • Probability-weighted recovery: $1,348
  • All-in cost to pursue: $615
  • Claim size needed to break even: $1,597

What each field means

Inputs

Amount you are claiming ($)
The amount you are claiming used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3500 $ so you have a working example on load.
Chance of winning (%)
The chance of winning used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 70 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Chance of collecting (%)
The chance of collecting used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 55 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Filing fee ($)
The filing fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 75 $ so you have a working example on load.
Service + misc costs ($)
The service + misc costs used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 60 $ so you have a working example on load.
Hours of work missed
The hours of work missed used in the calculation. Starts at 12 so you have a working example on load.
Your hourly value ($)
The your hourly value used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 40 $ so you have a working example on load.

Results

Expected value of filing
Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Probability-weighted recovery
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
All-in cost to pursue
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Claim size needed to break even
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

What limits apply to small claims?

Dollar limits vary by state, commonly between $2,500 and $20,000. If your claim exceeds the cap you either waive the excess or file in a higher court.

Why weight for collection?

Judgment-proof defendants with no wages or assets are common. A judgment you can't enforce has a real value close to zero, which is why the second probability matters as much as the first.

Accuracy and limitations

  • Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
  • Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
  • This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.

Cite this calculator

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APA
RevenueLab. (2026). Small Claims Court Worth-It Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/small-claims-worth-it
HTML
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/small-claims-worth-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Small Claims Court Worth-It Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Markdown
Source: [Small Claims Court Worth-It Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/small-claims-worth-it) (2026).
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