Regularly published records, once limited to larger financial claims, now report lawsuits in the hundreds instead of thousands of dollars. Professional debt collection operations flourished after they learned to mass-file small financial claims in circuit courts. People lacking good legal advice can end up with court-adjudicated judgments including high legal costs, even on small original debts that may have been successfully challenged. Best advice: Don’t ignore small debts, thinking they will disappear on their own. Bottom line: Pay it off or negotiate a documented settlement, but don’t ignore those small-debt claims.