Subjunctivitis posted:

The legal fees are always awarded to the winner. I was awarded the amount of my invoices (for which I was suing), filing fees, mailing fees, and process service.

He had 30 days from the date of judgment to pay up. He had 30 days from receipt of judgment in the mail to file for an appeal, and I just got an e-mail from him yesterday saying that he had filed for a appeal (true to form, he filed 3 days before the window to file closed).

He is appealing on behalf of the decision made on my suit. He cannot appeal the decision made on his suit. So he's basically saying, "Nuh-uh, I don't owe him the money, like the other judge said." Both of our cases will get reheard, so he will have another opportunity to tell a judge that he thinks I should compensate him for the internship.

I don't know anything about what Pyror on Fire is saying, but from what the court says, this next hearing is the last time these cases can be heard. So it should be done and done after the appeal hearing. (I don't know about him having a lawyer in the family, but I'm sure he got a bit of advice from someone he knows, and everything he's done so far is with easily-accessible information for going through the small claims process.)