Rule 16 Counterclaims and Setoffs

If someone sues you in justice court, you can usually file your own claim back against them as part of the same case. This is called a counterclaim or setoff. The court is supposed to let you do this easily and won't make it hard to bring your claim into the case.

If you don't file a counterclaim during this case, you don't lose your right to sue about it later. You can still bring a separate lawsuit for that claim in the future.

There's one limit though. Justice court can only handle cases up to a certain dollar amount. If your counterclaim asks for more money than the court is allowed to handle, the judge will dismiss that counterclaim. This dismissal won't count against you permanently. You can still file that claim later in a court that can handle the higher amount.