After You File

In Massachusetts small claims, the court mails the first notice to the defendant. When the mail comes back, plaintiffs arrange alternate service through a sheriff, a constable, or certified mail.

Subpoenas in a Massachusetts small claims case are issued by the court clerk or a notary public, served personally, and require tender of the statutory witness fee at service. A witness who ignores a properly served subpoena can be arrested or fined for contempt.

A practical guide to evidence at a Massachusetts small claims hearing: which documents, photos, witness accounts, and hearsay statements magistrates admit, what weight they carry, and what changes if the case is appealed to a jury session.