[Msquared]

It looks like in GA, small claims court covers all claims up to $15k. I certainly hope we're talking about less than that. The bottom line is that it's unlikely an attorney is going to take the case or be worth it for a claim that small. You can certainly consult with a couple to make sure, though. But in small claims, the proceedings are generally designed for pro se parties to litigate their own cases. You're going to need to file the case, take any documentation of payment and contracts (if any exist that are written). If there was no written deliver-by date specified, then it's basically up to the judge to determine what a reasonable amount of time is for them to deliver on their promised work. There will probably be some typical time span that they use as a rule of thumb.

Finally, even once you get a judgment it may be very hard to actually recover the award. This shop most likely used your money to pay for a prior job, and they may not have the money sitting around to give back to you. You can get a lien on the business if that happens, but you'll probably be in a long line of other lienholders at that point. So buckle in - it's going to be a long ride. FWIW, this is the kind thing Hennessey is infamous for doing. It happens a lot, unfortunately.