WhatsApp Messages for Small Claims Court: Prepare Your Evidence
Turn your WhatsApp conversations into structured evidence for small claims court. Step-by-step guide to exporting, preserving, and summarizing messages a judge can review in minutes.
17 feb 20269 min read
Small claims court is designed for people to represent themselves. That means you are responsible for presenting your own evidence clearly and concisely. If the key conversations happened on WhatsApp, you need to turn those messages into something a judge can review in minutes, not hours.
This is not legal advice. It is a practical workflow for organizing WhatsApp conversations into structured evidence for small claims proceedings.
Why judges struggle with raw WhatsApp messages
Small claims judges handle dozens of cases per session. They do not have time to scroll through thousands of messages looking for the relevant ones. Common problems:
Screenshots are out of context. A screenshot of "I'll pay you Friday" means nothing without the surrounding conversation.
Printed chat logs are unreadable. Raw _chat.txt files have no structure, no highlights, and no summary.
Voice notes cannot be played in court. If the key agreement was made in a voice note, you need a transcript.
The other party will cherry-pick. If you only show selected messages, the judge sees incomplete evidence.
What works: a complete export with a structured summary that presents the full timeline, highlights key events, and lets the judge see both sides of the conversation.
What you need to prepare
For small claims, you typically need:
A chronological timeline showing key events (agreements, payments, deliveries, disputes)
A summary of the claim with supporting excerpts from the actual conversation
The original export as backup evidence (untouched)
Transcripts of any voice notes that contain relevant terms or agreements
Step 1: Export the WhatsApp conversation
Use WhatsApp's built-in export function. Include media if voice notes contain relevant agreements or commitments.
Important: WhatsApp has export limits. Without media you get up to 40,000 messages. With media, up to 10,000. Make sure your export covers the relevant time period. If not, export without media for more coverage.
Step 2: Preserve the original file
Save the original `.zip` file untouched. Do not rename it, unzip it, or edit anything inside. Email it to yourself or store it in cloud storage so there is a timestamped record.
Work only on a copy. If the other party challenges your evidence, you want the original file with its metadata intact.
Create a chronological timeline suitable for small claims court. For each entry include: date, who said what, and the significance (agreement made, payment promised, delivery confirmed, complaint raised, etc.). Only include events relevant to the dispute. Use neutral, factual language throughout. At the end, list: (1) what was agreed and by whom, (2) what was not delivered or disputed, (3) amounts involved if mentioned.
This gives you a 1-3 page timeline that a judge can scan in a few minutes.
Step 4: Generate a claim summary with evidence
Run a second Custom Prompt with:
Summarize this conversation as if preparing a brief for small claims court. Structure it as: (1) Background — who the parties are and what the arrangement was, (2) Timeline of key events, (3) What went wrong — the breach or dispute, (4) What each party claims, supported by specific messages with dates, (5) Amount in dispute if mentioned, (6) Unresolved questions. Use only facts from the conversation. Do not speculate or interpret intent.
Step 5: Include voice note transcripts
If key agreements were made in voice notes, include media in your export. ThreadRecap transcribes voice notes using Whisper and merges them into the timeline automatically.
This matters in small claims because verbal agreements made via voice note are often the crux of the dispute. A judge cannot replay your WhatsApp voice notes, but they can read a transcript with a timestamp.
Step 6: Prepare your evidence package
Bring to court or submit:
The timeline summary (printed, 1-3 pages)
The claim summary with excerpts (printed, 1-2 pages)
The original export file on a USB drive or available on your phone (backup)
Any supporting documents referenced in the chat (invoices, photos of deliverables, receipts)
Tip: Number your pages and reference the timeline when speaking. "As shown on page 1, on March 12th the defendant agreed to..." is far more effective than scrolling through your phone.
What NOT to do
Do not edit the chat log. Deleting messages or altering the export undermines your credibility.
Do not only show your side. A one-sided selection of messages makes the judge suspicious. The full timeline is more persuasive.
Do not submit thousands of raw messages. The judge will not read them. A structured summary with key excerpts is what works.
Do not ignore voice notes. If they contain agreements, transcribe them. If you skip them, the other party might bring them up.
Privacy considerations
When preparing evidence from personal conversations, consider:
