Get your money back from a company that won't pay: have an AI assistant build a small claims case file (timeline, evidence list, demand letter, filing checklist) so you can file it yourself without a lawyer: AI agent prompt
On Oct 30, 2026 Phillip Jackson, who builds the commerce media company Future Commerce, posted on X that he had hired the AI agent service Muse to sue a company on his behalf in small claims court. By his account, the company offered a settlement within 20 minutes of being served, paid him within ten days with extra compensation for his recovery costs, and Muse then filed a motion to dismiss that the court accepted. The post was bookmarked over a thousand times, and replies pointed out that court filing and service fees still apply. This is one person's case, small claims rules and limits differ by court, and an AI isn't a lawyer, so check your local court's rules before filing. The prompt below gets any AI assistant to prepare the case so you can send a demand letter first and file yourself if needed.
The prompt
Help me prepare a small claims case. I'm in [city, province or state, country]. The other side is [company or person, address]. What happened: [plain-language story with dates]. What I'm owed: [amount] for [reason], plus [any costs, e.g. repair quotes, fees]. Evidence I have: [receipts, emails, texts, photos, contract]. 1) Build a dated timeline of the facts from what I gave you, and flag any gap or claim I can't back with evidence as [CHECK]. 2) List the evidence I should bring, in order, and what each item proves. 3) Write a firm, polite demand letter giving them [14] days to pay before I file, with the exact amount and how to pay. 4) Tell me which small claims court likely handles this, the usual claim limit and filing fees there, and how the other side gets served, and mark anything you can't confirm for my court as [CHECK] with where to verify it (the court's website or clerk). 5) Draft the claim description in plain words (what happened, why they owe it, what I want). 6) List 3 likely defences they could raise and how I'd answer each. 7) If they offer a settlement, give me a checklist for accepting it safely (amount, deadline, in writing, how and when I withdraw or dismiss the claim). Don't send or file anything; I'll review and do that myself, and I'll ask a lawyer or legal clinic if the amount is large or the case is complicated.
Fill in the blanks, then copy
This prompt has 8 [bracket]s to fill in. Type your details below and the prompt updates as you go. Your answers stay in this browser and are reused on other prompts with the same blanks. Nothing is sent to us.
Example values are fictional, just to show how a filled-in prompt reads. Replace them with your real details.How to use it
- Copy the prompt above.
- Replace every [bracket] with your own details (use the fill-in-the-blanks box above, which remembers your answers for the next prompt).
- Paste it into Muse, ChatGPT, Claude and review the answer before you use it.
Works with: Muse, ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini
Real-world example: x.com/philwinkle/status/2116180121447014434
Featured in: Free AI agent prompts for small business (beginner-friendly) · ChatGPT prompts for business email, replies and follow-ups · AI prompts for writing SOPs, reports, policies and checklists
Before you use it: what to check
Already built into this prompt
- Don't send or file anything; I'll review and do that myself, and I'll ask a lawyer or legal clinic if the amount is large or the case is complicated.
Check yourself
- Check every figure, price and total against your own records before anything is sent, posted or booked. A person approves refunds, discounts, payments and price changes.
- Anything legal, tax or compliance-related is a first draft for a qualified person to check. It is not professional advice, and clause references and deadlines must be checked against the source.
- Read and edit the draft before it reaches a customer or goes public. If you later automate this prompt, start with "draft and notify me", not "send automatically".
- Check names, dates, numbers and any claim against your own source material before you use the answer. AI can misread or invent details.
Using an AI agent? Download this prompt as a SKILL.md agent skill with these checks built in, or get the .zip for Claude.ai. How to install skills.
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