Nothing in this article shall prevent a representative of an insurer or other expert in the matter before the small claims court from rendering assistance to a party in the litigation except during the conduct of the hearing, either before or after the commencement of the action, unless otherwise prohibited by law; nor shall anything in this article prevent those individuals from testifying to facts of which they have personal knowledge and about which they are competent to testify.
§ 116.531.Assistance to party by insurer or other expert
Title 1. Organization and Jurisdiction · Chapter 5.5. Small Claims Court · Article 5. Hearing · Enacted 1683 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 116.531 lets a representative of an insurer, or another expert in the matter, assist a party in the litigation before or after the action is filed, and testify to facts within their personal knowledge, so long as they do not conduct the hearing itself.
Full Text of § 116.531
Plain-English Summary
Section 116.531 extends the same kind of behind-the-scenes help § 116.530(c) allows attorneys to give, to insurance company representatives and other experts. Nothing in Article 5 stops such a representative or expert from assisting a party in the litigation, except during the conduct of the hearing itself, and except where some other law prohibits it.
The section also confirms these individuals can testify at the hearing to facts within their personal knowledge that they are competent to testify about, even though they cannot conduct the hearing on the party’s behalf the way a participating attorney would.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my insurance company help me prepare a small claims case in California?
Yes. Section 116.531 lets a representative of an insurer assist a party in the litigation before or after the action is filed, so long as that assistance is not otherwise prohibited by law.
Can an insurance representative or expert testify at the small claims hearing?
Yes. Section 116.531 allows them to testify to facts within their personal knowledge that they are competent to testify about.
Can an insurer’s representative conduct the hearing for me?
No. Section 116.531 excludes assistance “during the conduct of the hearing,” which keeps this section consistent with the general bar on non-party participation in § 116.540.
Amendment History
Added Stats 1990 ch 1683 § 5 (AB 3916).
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
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