Small claims courts are included in each state’s court system and are designed for the resolution of disputes involving a limited dollar amount—and for the parties to the dispute to represent themselves (pro se). Small claims courts are often referred to as the People’s Court, and some states such as California prohibit attorneys from representing parties in small claims court.
The limit on the amount of money in dispute (the jurisdictional limit) varies from state to state within a range of $2,500 to $25,000—but is usually between $5,000 and $15,000. The disputes filed in small claims courts are often seeking to recover a debt or involving residential landlord-tenant disputes.
Judges in small claims courts in some states are called Justices of the Peace, and the courts are sometimes referred to as JP courts.
In Texas, small claims courts are part of the justice court system and are designed to handle minor civil disputes without the need for an attorney. The jurisdictional limit for small claims in Texas is $20,000, which means that the court can adjudicate disputes involving claims up to this amount. These courts are intended to be user-friendly, allowing individuals to represent themselves (pro se) in a less formal setting than higher courts. While attorneys are not prohibited from representing parties in Texas small claims courts, many people choose to represent themselves due to the straightforward nature of the proceedings and the lower amount of money at stake. The types of cases typically seen in Texas small claims courts include debt recovery, landlord-tenant disputes, and other minor civil matters. Judges presiding over these cases may be referred to as Justices of the Peace, and the courts themselves can be called JP courts.
