small claims court
Petty lawsuit venue
A small claims court handles civil disputes involving relatively small amounts of money—typically a few thousand dollars, though limits vary by jurisdiction.
Procedures are simplified so people can represent themselves without lawyers: I'm taking my former landlord to small claims court over the security deposit.
- damagesCompensation for injury
- judgeOne who decides
- filing feeCost to submit documents
- filing deadlineFinal submission date
- debt recoveryReclaiming unpaid obligations
tribunal · settlement · default judgment · pro se · magistrate · breach of contract · jurisdiction · compensation · unpaid wages · landlord tenant · defendant · negligence · mediation · self-representation · torts · plaintiff · restitution · summons
- courtsdistrict courts, federal courts, circuit courts, municipal courts, trial courts
- state courts
- English Lawbarristers, solicitors, solicitor, Old Bailey, writ
- court termscourts, judge, judges, trial, trials
- courthousescourtroom, courthouse, federal courthouse, county courthouse, historic courthouse
- legal bodiesmilitary tribunal, war crimes tribunal
small claims courtfederal court
Tribunal for national matters
supreme court · superior court · high court · district court · appellate court
small claims courtcriminal court
Forum for prosecuting offenses
traffic court · family court · assizes · juvenile court · grand jury
small claims courtinternational court
Body adjudicating between nations