A small claim here is decided once.There is no second attempt
Under CPL §165 a small claim is 一审终审 — single instance, no appeal — and must conclude within two months. Trial AI runs your case as a full mock trial before that one hearing: civil, criminal, IP, commercial or administrative, with both sides argued and a written judgment.
50%
Of the province’s prior-year average wage — the small-claims threshold
CPL §165
一审终审
Single instance — a small claim cannot be appealed
CPL §165
2
Months to conclude, from acceptance of the case
CPL §165
3
Years of limitation for a civil claim
Civil Code §188
What Trial AI hears in Mainland China
Civil, Criminal, Intellectual property, Commercial, Administrative — all run as full mock trials, each routed to the court that would actually hear it here.
Civil
Disputes between private parties over money, contracts, property and harm.
- Contract disputes
- Tort liability
- Property rights
- Labour disputes
- Marriage and family
Heard by
Primary People’s Court → Intermediate → High → Supreme People’s Court
Small claims are decided at a single instance (CPL §165). Employment disputes must go to labour arbitration before any court will hear them.
What Trial AI gives you here
- Liability and quantum analysed separately, so you know which one is weak
- A written judgment showing which head of loss survives and which does not
- A demand letter you can send before spending anything on filing
- A settlement range, and the argument the other side is most likely to run
Worked examples
The deposit the landlord would not return
¥ 12,000A tenant moved out of a Hangzhou flat with a signed handover checklist; the landlord withheld the deposit for marks the checklist had already recorded at move-in.
A full mock trial run on the footing that there is no appeal, plus a written demand that interrupts the limitation period while negotiation continues.
The online order that arrived broken twice
¥ 4,300A buyer received a damaged appliance, accepted a replacement that arrived damaged as well, and was then offered only a partial refund.
The panel separated the contract claim from the consumer-protection route and showed which of the two the platform records actually supported.
Twenty-two case types across five categories. If your dispute does not fit neatly, describe it in your own words and the assistant will place it.
How a case becomes a court-result simulation
Trial AI is not ordinary chat. It puts the case through a simulated trial flow where plaintiff counsel, defendant counsel, and judge roles test each other before producing a court-result preview.
Case Input
Facts, evidence, role, and jurisdiction
Plaintiff / Defendant Counsel
Counsel claims, defences, and rebuttals
Judge Panel
Reviews under legal framework
Deliberation & Vote
Multi-role cross-checking
Court Result Preview
Reasons, risk, and next steps
A money claim on the mainland, cheapest step first
This is the path a money claim takes. Criminal, IP, commercial and administrative matters follow their own routes to the courts above — and an employment dispute cannot reach any court until arbitration has run.
Demand and negotiation
Set out the obligation, the amount and a deadline in writing. It costs nothing, and a written demand also interrupts the three-year limitation period.
Civil Code §188
Mediation before filing
People’s mediation and court-connected pre-filing mediation both exist, and a mediation agreement can be given judicial confirmation so that it is enforceable.
Usually free
Labour arbitration, if it is an employment dispute
Not optional. An employment dispute goes to the labour arbitration commission first; only a party dissatisfied with the award may then sue, within fifteen days of receiving it. The arbitration limitation period is one year.
Labour Arbitration Law §5, §27
Small claims (小额诉讼)
For a simple money claim at or under 50% of the province’s prior-year average wage, the primary court decides at a single instance, may hear and rule in one sitting, and must conclude within two months. Between 50% and 200%, both parties may agree to use it.
CPL §165
After court simulation, generate a lawyer-letter draft
The system uses the simulated verdict, user role, and strongest strategy to draft a plaintiff-side or defendant-side lawyer letter that can be downloaded and reviewed by a real lawyer.
1. Read simulated verdict
Use risk, issues, and remedy direction.
2. Choose role and language
Draft for plaintiff or defendant in the chosen language.
3. Strengthen the claim
Demand compensation, injunctions, denial, or settlement terms.
4. Download for lawyer review
DOCX / PDF drafts can be edited and issued by counsel.
Lawyer-letter draft output
Re: Formal position based on simulated court outcome
Strategy Draft
We act for our client and set out a firm position on the key issues and evidence.
All rights are reserved. The other side must respond within the stated deadline with a remedy proposal.
Tailored Value for Every Stakeholder
Whether you are a client, a lawyer, or a legal academic, Trial AI delivers targeted insights for your specific needs.
See the Full Picture Before You Commit
Understand the likely outcome, costs, and risks of your case before engaging expensive legal proceedings. Make informed decisions with trial simulation.
Start a free trialForecast Outcomes
Get likely outcome forecasts across civil and criminal matters.
Save Legal Costs
Evaluate case strength before committing to costly legal proceedings.
Negotiate Stronger
Enter settlement talks armed with data-backed insights on your position.
Compare Jurisdictions
See how your case would fare under different legal systems and courts.
Find Weak Points
Discover vulnerabilities in your arguments before the opposing side does.
Anticipate Opposition
Preview likely counter-arguments and prepare effective rebuttals.
Train Associates
Give junior team members realistic case experience through simulation.
Data-Backed Advice
Support client consultations with generated judicial reasoning and analysis.
Stress-Test Every Argument Before Court
Run your case through a full trial simulation to uncover weaknesses, anticipate opposing strategies, and prepare junior associates with realistic scenarios.
Run a simulationA Research Tool for Judicial Reasoning
Explore how different judicial panels might reason through complex cases. Study decision patterns, compare majority and dissenting opinions, and scale legal research.
Explore analysisCross-Jurisdiction Analysis
Compare how identical cases would be decided across different legal systems.
Decision Patterns
Analyse trends in judicial reasoning and identify patterns in case outcomes.
Majority & Dissent
Review majority opinions alongside dissenting judicial views.
Scale Research
Process large volumes of case scenarios that would take weeks to research manually.
What one hearing with no appeal is worth preparing for
Appeal against a small-claims judgment
Set by statute
Not available — CPL §165
Employment dispute — court before arbitration
Set by statute
Not accepted — arbitration comes first
Lawyer, first consultation
Market estimate
US$150–350 (estimate)
Trial AI mock trial
Full trial, written judgment and demand letter.
From US$14.9
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- Blurred deliberation details
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- Verdict PDF download
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- Procedure guideline — your next-step action plan
- Formal lawyer letter (1 revision included)
- Verdict PDF download
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Buy 4 combos — US$99.9All prices in USD and HKD. Trial simulations are for reference only. Results do not constitute legal advice.
What people ask about Mainland China
No. Article 165 makes a small-claims judgment 一审终审 — final at first instance. That is the single most important thing to know before the hearing, because everywhere else a weak first attempt can be repaired on appeal and here it cannot.
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