Florida Small Claims Court Miami-Dade County

Where Miami-Dade Small Claims Cases Are Heard

Miami-Dade County operates one of the busiest county court systems in Florida. Small claims cases fall under the Civil Division of the County Court, part of the 11th Judicial Circuit. The main courthouse is at 73 West Flagler Street in downtown Miami, but cases may also be assigned to satellite courthouses in Hialeah, South Dade, or North Dade depending on where the dispute occurred or where the defendant lives.

When you receive your summons, check the courtroom assignment carefully. Miami-Dade uses the Uniform Case Number (UCN) system, and your assigned division determines which judge handles your case. You can verify your case details through the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts online docket at the official county website.

Pretrial Conference Schedule and Procedures

Miami-Dade typically schedules the initial pretrial conference within 30 to 50 days of the lawsuit filing date, following Rule 7.090(b). The pretrial conference is not a trial — it is an administrative hearing where the judge confirms the parties, clarifies what is in dispute, and directs unresolved cases to mandatory mediation.

What makes Miami-Dade distinctive is how mediation works at the pretrial stage. The 11th Circuit frequently runs court-annexed mediation sessions simultaneously alongside the initial pretrial calendar. That means you could arrive at your pretrial conference and be directed to mediation on the same day. Come prepared with your evidence organized and a clear understanding of what outcome you would accept.

If the defendant fails to appear at the pretrial conference, the judge or clerk can enter a default under Rule 7.170(a). The court may then proceed to a default final judgment; if damages are unliquidated, it holds a proof-of-damages hearing.

Remote and Virtual Hearing Options

Miami-Dade's default is in-person attendance. To appear remotely, a defendant generally needs to file a motion requesting virtual participation and receive judicial approval. This differs from some Florida counties like Broward, which have permanent hybrid or Zoom protocols.

If you have a conflict that makes in-person attendance genuinely difficult, file a written motion for remote appearance as early as possible. Include the specific reason and propose how you will present documents electronically. Do not assume a phone call to the clerk's office is enough to secure remote attendance.

Filing Fees and Counterclaim Costs

Filing a written answer in Miami-Dade small claims court costs nothing — there is no clerk filing fee for defensive pleadings. If you file a counterclaim, the fee depends on the amount:

• Claims up to $100: $55
• Claims $100.01 to $500: $80
• Claims $500.01 to $2,500: $175
• Claims $2,500.01 to $8,000: $300

A counterclaim must be filed at least 5 days before the pretrial conference. If you cannot afford the filing fee, you can apply for a civil indigency determination under Section 57.082, Florida Statutes.

Free Help in Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade County offers free monthly Consumer Protection educational sessions and has a self-help center where deputy clerks can explain procedural rules and provide official court forms. Keep in mind that clerks are legally barred from giving legal advice — they cannot tell you how to argue your case or evaluate the strength of your claim.

FloridaLawHelp.org lists legal aid organizations in Miami-Dade that serve low-income residents, though most restrict free representation to emergency housing, domestic violence, and public benefit cases rather than general commercial disputes.

Preparing for Your Miami-Dade Small Claims Case

Bring three organized copies of every document you plan to present — one for the judge, one for the opposing party, and one for yourself. Arrive with your evidence organized, especially if you are directed to same-day mediation.

If you have been served with a small claims case in Miami-Dade and want a step-by-step walkthrough of your options — from reading the summons to preparing for mediation and trial — the Florida Small Claims Response Guide covers the entire defendant's process in one place.

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