A Brief Explanation of the Civil Court
System
Civil cases are lawsuits that fall into
one of two court jurisdictions, depending on the dollar
amount involved in the case. Small Claims Court, a division
of County Civil, handles cases that do not exceed $5,000.00.
Cases exceeding $5,000.00 but not exceeding $15,000.00
are under the jurisdiction of County Civil. Cases exceeding
$15,000.00 and all family law cases, which include divorces,
adoptions, name changes, etc., are under the jurisdiction
of the Circuit Civil.
SMALL CLAIMS
A Small Claims case is filed in County
Court to settle disputes among parties where the dollar
amount is $5,000.00 or less, excluding costs, interest,
and attorneys' fees. In most small claims cases, the
parties in the case represent themselves and it is not
necessary to have a lawyer. The Clerk's Office will
provide you with the necessary forms to initiate your
small claims case. Please be advised, however, that
the employees of the Clerk's Office cannot provide you
with any legal advice on any matter and cannot guarantee
the collection of any amount found due and owing to
you.
Small Claims Information
COUNTY CIVIL
County Civil settles disputes for cases
that exceed $5,000.00 but do not exceed $15,000.00.
There are no forms available at the Clerk's Office for
County Civil lawsuits. If you should choose to file
your own case, the Law Library is available for research
and has some forms available to copy. Please remember,
the law librarian cannot answer any legal questions
or give any legal advice. As in all matters involving
the law, if you do not feel fully comfortable or qualified
to represent yourself, you may want to consider obtaining
the services of a competent lawyer.
The County Civil court is also where most
Tenant Eviction proceedings are filed. The Clerk's Office
has the packet for "Non-Payment of Rent" Evictions
for Possession Only and a packet for Eviction and Damages.
