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Unpaid Invoices · All 50 States

Unpaid Invoices? Get Help With Your Small Claim

An invoice past due, a client gone quiet, work delivered and never paid for. Talk with Eleanor about what happened, about six minutes, and walk away with a demand letter built for your state.

A business owner reviewing an unpaid invoice in her studio.
Example
Statement of Amounts DueInvoice #1043 · Acme Co.
Payments received
Deposit · on signing−$1,400.00
Balance due$2,800.00

Eleanor totaled the $2,800 unpaid for your demand letter.

13,000+ claims processed
Formal Demand Letter
No lawyer required
What you can take to court

Three kinds of unpaid‑invoice claims.

Most unpaid‑invoice cases fall into one of these. The clearer your records, the clearer the claim.

Work completed

You finished the job or project and the agreed amount went unpaid. The most common unpaid‑invoice claim.

Goods delivered

Products you shipped or handed over that were received and never paid for.

Fees & late terms

Late fees, interest, or charges your contract or invoice terms allowed for.

What it takes · the elements of a claim

Evidence for an unpaid invoice claim

You don’t need a contract a lawyer wrote. A few ordinary records usually carry it — here’s the shape; the specifics live on your state page.

A record of the agreement

An estimate, accepted quote, contract, or email thread showing what was agreed and at what price.

Proof you delivered

Sign‑offs, delivery receipts, finished files, or a thank‑you — anything showing the work or goods landed.

The invoice itself

Dated and itemized, with your terms — the document that put them on notice of exactly what’s due.

The unpaid balance

What’s left after any partial payments, plus late fees or interest your terms provided for.

All 50 states

Find your state’s small‑claims rules.

Each state sets its own small‑claims limit and filing rules — mapped, sourced, and ready.

How it works

How to pursue an unpaid invoice claim

One path, six steps. You tell the story once; Squabble carries it the rest of the way — and you review everything before anything is filed.

Step 1

Told Eleanor

You tell Eleanor what happened, in plain words. About six minutes.

Step 2

Prepared

Your demand letter — and any court papers — are prepared and Triple-Checked.

Step 3

Filed

Squabble files with the right court, or hands you a file-ready packet.

Step 4

Served

The other side is formally notified, the way your court requires.

Step 5

Hearing

You walk in prepared, evidence organized, case in order.

Step 6

Resolved

You reach a resolution — by settlement or judgment.

Sound familiar?

The unpaid‑invoice disputes we see most.

If any of these is your story, these are exactly the disputes Squabble is built for.

Client went quiet

Calls and emails about the invoice go unanswered.

Paid the deposit, never the rest

A first installment came through, then silence on the balance.

Endless “next week”

Payment promised again and again, and never sent.

Disputed after delivery

Sudden complaints about work they already accepted and used.

Net‑30 turned into never

The payment terms came and went with nothing paid.

Ghosted on the final invoice

Everything was fine until the last bill came due.

Straight talk

What small claims court can and cannot do

We'd rather you walk in clear-eyed. Squabble isn't a law firm and doesn't give legal advice — here's the honest scope.

What it can do

  • Order the other side to pay a money judgment.
  • Award late fees or interest your agreement provides for, where the court allows.
  • Add your court costs to the judgment.
  • Give you an enforceable judgment you can collect on.

What it can't do

  • Punish the other side criminally — small claims is about money owed.
  • Award damages beyond what your state's law provides.
  • Guarantee an outcome — every case turns on its facts and evidence.
  • Replace legal advice — for that, talk to a licensed attorney.
Why Squabble

Why choose Squabble for your claim

Attorney-founded & patented

Created by a practicing attorney and law professor, on patented technology (U.S. 11,328,375 B2) — not a generic form mill.

Triple-Checked

Every document is checked for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy against your court's requirements before it goes anywhere.

Free to start, yours to control

Your Formal Demand Letter is $19 per party, included at no extra cost with every package, and you review and attest to every document before anything is filed.

Free to start

Small claims filing packages

Wherever you are right now — you just want them to respond, or you’re ready to file today — there’s a level that fits. Upgrade anytime, without starting over.

Make them respond · $19 per party

Your Formal Demand Letter

Prepared from the facts you gave Eleanor — download, sign, and send.

Send a Formal Demand Letter
Recommended for claims $2,500+
Hand it off

Dedicated Case Agent

$395 + fees

A dedicated agent prepares, files, and stays with your case the whole way — evidence, hearings, and every step through to Resolved.

Told Eleanor
Prepared
Filed (and e-served)
Served
Hearing
Resolved
Everything in File NowPersonally assigned case agentUnlimited & escalated case meetingsEvidence prep for settlement or courtVirtual hearing & motion assistance*Service of Process optional · $138, ordered after you submit
100% money-back guarantee. If your case is dismissed because of a filing or service error by Squabble, you get a full refund. Refund Policy
Get a Dedicated Case Agent
Get it filed

File Now

$235 + fees
Reaches Served

Squabble Triple-Checks, prepares, and files your claim, Email notice included.

Filing handled by SquabbleEmail notice included†Full case management platformService of Process optional · $138, ordered after you submit
File My Claim
Put them on notice

Credible Threat

$125
Reaches Prepared

Court-ready documents you file yourself — a demand backed by the paperwork.

Court-ready documents, Triple-Check™ verifiedEmail notice included†Live chat with the Squabble team
Send Credible Threat
† Email notice is a courtesy email to the other party, not lawful service of process. With Credible Threat it gives notice of intent to file; with File Now and a Dedicated Case Agent, notice that the claim has been filed.
* Additional court fees may apply for filed documents. Ordering does not form an attorney-client relationship.
Case Brief

Prepare for court with a Case Brief

Most people aren’t sure what to prove or what the other side will say. A Case Brief maps all of it out — the facts, the evidence, the numbers, the likely defenses — so you’re the prepared one in the room.

$95Add it to any path — even your Formal Demand Letter.
Add a Case Brief — $95

Educational only — not legal advice, no attorney-client relationship, and no opinion on the merits. Example shown for illustration.

Questions

Unpaid invoice FAQs

What if I never had a written contract?

You can still have a strong claim. Emails, texts, an accepted quote, or a record of the work and payments often establish what was agreed. Eleanor helps you assemble what you have.

What if the client says the work was wrong?

Quality disputes come up often. Your records — sign‑offs, deliverables, and prior approvals — speak to what was agreed and delivered, and the court weighs both sides.

Can I charge late fees or interest?

If your contract or invoice terms provided for late fees or interest, you can include them in what you claim. Squabble organizes the figures; the court decides what applies.

Do I need a lawyer?

No. Small claims court is built for people representing themselves. Squabble prepares your demand letter and, if you choose, your court-ready documents, and identifies the right court. You review everything before anything is filed.

How much does Squabble cost?

Your Formal Demand Letter is $19 per party, included with every package. To go further, Credible Threat is $125, File Now is $235, and a Dedicated Case Agent is $395. Additional services are available if you decide to escalate.

What if the client still won't respond?

That's what filing is for. With File Now or a Dedicated Case Agent, Squabble prepares and files your case and coordinates formal notice, so silence stops being an option.

Can I claim for goods I delivered, not just services?

Yes. Unpaid invoices for products you shipped or handed over are squarely small‑claims territory — the same as unpaid services.

What if they only paid part of the invoice?

A partial payment doesn’t erase the balance. You can claim what’s still owed, plus any late terms your agreement allowed for.

Does this work in my state?

Yes — Squabble covers all 50 states, with the right court and filing rules mapped for each. Find yours in the state list above.

Modern civil recourse

Built for everyone the system kept waiting.

Small-claims court exists so ordinary people can be heard without a lawyer or a fortune. Over time it filled up with forms, deadlines, and procedure most were never shown — and too many quietly gave up what they were owed.

Squabble puts it back within reach. Talk with Eleanor about what happened, and your demand letter, court-ready paperwork, filing, and follow-through are prepared and moving — in about six minutes, off your shoulders.

Free to start — your Formal Demand Letter is $19.