Rule 2 - Parties to a Lawsuit(a)Parties. The parties to a small claims lawsuit are the plaintiff and the defendant. A party can be an individual, a marital community, a corporation, a partnership, an association, or other organization. (1)Plaintiff. A plaintiff is the party who files a small claims lawsuit by filing a complaint. The plaintiff must be a real party to the original transaction that forms the basis of the lawsuit, unless the person is commencing a lawsuit as a personal representative duly appointed pursuant to a proceeding as provided in Title 14 of the Arizona Revised Statutes.(2)Defendant. A defendant is the party who is sued by being named in the complaint.(b)Use of Correct Legal Name. A plaintiff must use the party's correct legal name when filing a lawsuit. Each defendant must be sued by the correct legal name.(c)Contact Information. All parties must provide the court with a mailing address, email address, and phone number, if available. The court may use this information to communicate with the parties about their case by mail, email, text message, or phone. Ariz. R. P. Small. Claims. Proce. 2
Added Aug. 27, 2019, effective 1/1/2020.