Start with the right question
Start with the transaction documents rather than guessing from a logo. A person, corporation, trade name, payment processor, or marketplace can appear in different roles. Your records should explain who made the agreement and who performed the disputed act without treating every named organization as interchangeable.
Work through the checks
Extract names from original documents
Record the exact names and roles shown on the contract, invoice, receipt, and correspondence. Preserve spelling and any entity suffix. Keep a trading name separate from a registered entity when the documents distinguish them.
Record the basis for an address
Identify where each address came from and the date it was checked. A shipping warehouse, payment processor, or old website footer may not be the appropriate service address. Do not publish a private person's address in an open worksheet.
Verify official filing guidance
Consult the relevant court's instructions about naming parties and service. Use official business records when appropriate, but distinguish a record search from a legal conclusion about who is responsible.
Keep uncertainty explicit
List competing names or roles with supporting documents and a question for the court's self-help service or a qualified adviser. Do not fill a required field with a plausible guess simply to finish an online form.
A record you can use
- Name exactly as written and document reference.
- Role in the transaction and evidence for that role.
- Address, source, and date checked.
- Official court instruction or form requirement.
- Unresolved identity or service question.
Keep this record locally. Use document references rather than publishing account numbers or other people's personal details. An empty field means the information is still missing; it should not be filled with an AI guess.
Worked example
An invoice uses 'Northside Repairs,' a contract identifies a company with a different legal name, and the card statement names a processor. The claimant preserves all three records and asks how the contracting entity should be identified. They do not automatically name the processor as the defendant because it appears on the payment statement.
This example is fictional and illustrates the method, not a real case result.
Limits and next steps
Choosing parties can affect a case and is a legal question when responsibility or entity structure is unclear. Requirements differ by court and location.
Resolve naming and address questions before relying on a filing or service attempt. Keep the checked source documents so any correction can be explained accurately.
Official guidance to check
- California Courts: considerations before suing
- California small claims service instructions — California procedure; verify local requirements elsewhere