Henry County magistrate court for an unpaid invoice from a client

Which court hears small claims in Henry County?

The Magistrate Court of Henry County. It is the county's small claims court, and it hears money claims up to $15,000 with a judge and no jury.

There is one location: 44 John Frank Ward Blvd., McDonough, GA 30253, and the county directory lists the magistrate court on 770-288-7700. The court's own page is the Henry County Magistrate Court page.

Venue depends on who you are suing. You file in the county where the defendant lives, and the court applies different rules to individuals, sole proprietors, partners, corporations and out-of-state parties. A corporation is normally sued in the county of its registered agent. File in the wrong place and the case is transferred, with a possible transfer fee.

This page covers civil claims for money. For warrants or evictions, go to the court's own site.

Henry County Magistrate Court facts at a glance

Everything in this table comes from Henry County's own court, sheriff and county pages, checked on 3 November 2026.

How to file a claim against a business in Henry County

Five steps. The clerk can help with forms but cannot tell you whom to sue.

1. Look up the business's exact legal name and registered agent on the Georgia Secretary of State business search (ecorp.sos.ga.gov).
2. Check that Henry County is the right venue for that defendant.
3. Complete the Statement of Claim: the defendant's name and service address, the exact amount you are owed, and your name, mailing address and phone number. Adding an email lets the court send notices that way.
4. File in person in McDonough or online, and pay the filing fee plus the sheriff's service fee for each defendant.
5. Pull together the invoice, the signed quote or contract, and the emails where the client accepted the work.

For the full picture on suing over an invoice, read small claims for an unpaid invoice.

What happens after you file in Henry County?

The sheriff serves the defendant, and that starts a 30-day clock.

• The defendant has 30 days from service to answer. If day 30 falls on a day the court is closed, it moves to the next open day.
• On day 31 the case is in default. The defendant can still answer late, with court costs, up to day 45.
• If they answer, the court sets a trial and tells both sides by mail or email. The judge usually rules from the bench.
• Either side can appeal within 30 days of the judgment. The case then goes to State Court, where a jury can hear it.

If the client is hard to reach, our guide to serving small claims papers explains what usually goes wrong, and default judgment in small claims covers the no-answer route.

What is different about Henry County?

The court spells out its collection fees. After judgment, a writ of fi.fa. costs about $9 and a garnishment about $98, according to the court's FAQ. A fi.fa. can issue straight after a default judgment, or 10 days after a contested one, and it creates a lien the sheriff can act on. Witnesses must come in person, subpoenas have to be served at least 24 hours before the hearing, and an out-of-county witness is paid mileage at $0.22 a mile. The county also posts the magistrate court calendar online and keeps a list of approved process servers.

How Easy Small Claims handles a Henry County claim

We send a proper demand letter first. If the client still does not pay, we prepare your Statement of Claim from your own documents and file it with Henry County Magistrate Court once you approve. It is $99 to start and $299 through the hearing, court costs at cost, collection steps quoted separately, and no cut of what you recover; someone from your business attends the hearing. See Georgia small claims for businesses, or the Cobb County magistrate court page if your client is based in Cobb.

Last updated November 2026. Easy Small Claims is not a law firm and this page is general information, not legal advice.