Small Claims Evidence Checklist for Chats (US and UK)
Small claims courts are informal, but the judge still needs to read your evidence quickly. This is a general checklist, not a statement of local rules.
Not legal advice. This page is general information. Whether a court admits or relies on a chat is for the court; convokeep does not promise admission or any outcome. Ask a qualified lawyer or a local advice service about your case.
Which court rules apply to me?
Rules differ by country, state and court. In England and Wales, small claims follow CPR Part 27 and the strict rules of evidence do not apply (r.27.8). In the US, small claims are set by each state, and evidence rules differ; check your court's own self-help pages. See WhatsApp evidence for small claims.
What do I keep?
The original exported file, a dated PDF of the relevant stretch, the contract or invoice, payment records, and any photos. Keep the originals unedited.
How do I present it?
Use a short list of what each item shows, dates in order, and page numbers. Make sure the judge can see who said what and when. Avoid dozens of screenshots when one clean extract will do.
Do I include the whole chat?
Include what is relevant plus enough context to be fair, and keep the full chat available. See how to share only part of a chat fairly.
How do I show the file is unchanged?
Keep the original export and note its SHA-256. A hash shows the file is unchanged since export, not that nothing was deleted before it or that the messages are genuine.
What do I check locally?
The court's rules on evidence deadlines, copies for the other side, and format. Courts may also ask you to explain how a printout was produced. Ask the court clerk or an advice service; this page is general.
Privacy
The file is read and the PDF is built in your browser. No chat or attachment is uploaded and there is no account. Hashing happens locally too. Read the privacy policy and the disclaimer.
Sources (checked 2026-10-29)
- Civil Procedure Rules Part 27 (small claims), r.27.8: https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part27 (opened 2026-10-29: r.27.8(1) "any method of proceeding at a hearing that it considers to be fair", (2) hearings informal, (3) strict rules of evidence do not apply)
- US small claims: each state's court website sets its own rules; no single federal rule is cited here. US Federal Rules of Evidence r.901 (authentication) for general background: https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre/rule_901 (opened 2026-10-29)
- Sources marked "not opened" were not opened while writing; check the current text yourself.
Related guides
- WhatsApp evidence for small claims
- How to share only part of a chat fairly
- Preparing chat evidence for your lawyer
- What a SHA-256 hash proves about a chat
- Chat evidence for a tenancy deposit dispute
- Unpaid invoice chat evidence for a small claim
Ready to try it?
Drop your exported chat file on the convokeep app for a free preview. The first 3 pages are free (watermarked, no integrity page); saving the full PDF is a one-time paid feature. No chat or attachment is uploaded: the file is read in your browser. To check later that a file is unchanged, use the hash checker.
This document was generated locally in the user's browser; no content was uploaded.