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.

Opposites
jurisdictional scope and monetary limits

small claims courtfederal court

Tribunal for national matters

supreme court · superior court · high court · district court · appellate court

civil vs. criminal jurisdiction

small claims courtcriminal court

Forum for prosecuting offenses

traffic court · family court · assizes · juvenile court · grand jury

formality and procedural complexity

small claims courtinternational court

Body adjudicating between nations

Family

small, court, claims

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Timeless · Concrete · Rated G