I have a no compete violation suit that I would like to seek damages on.

It would be necessary to review the document that contains the non-compete provision as there are many variations parties use. And, if the stylist was not a party to the agreement that contains the non-compete or subject to a separate agreement with such a provision, it may be difficult to establish a cause of action on such grounds. Also, there are two parts to the cause of action; first, you must establish liabilty, e.g. for breaching the non-compete agreement, and, second, you must prove damages caused to you by such breach. So, it's not as simple as picking an amount such as the $25,000 you have mentioned. Our firm has handled these types of cases and often the most difficult aspect of the case is proving what are the actual damages. Lastly, you don't want to get invovled in litigation that could cost you more than the amount in controversy; Arizona law does permit the court in its discretion to award attorneys' fees to the prevailing party and against the losing party. For the foregoing reasons, it is often recommended to try to resolve the dispute through mediation and/or arbitration, but that requires the consent of the parties. Hope this helps. We are not able to render legal advice unless and until we actually engaged by the client pursuant to an engagement letter. Thank you.