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 Kansas, small claims courts are part of the district court system and are designed to handle disputes involving a limited amount of money, typically allowing individuals to represent themselves without an attorney. The jurisdictional limit for small claims in Kansas is $4,000, which means that the court can only hear cases where the amount in dispute is $4,000 or less. Common types of cases heard in Kansas small claims courts include those seeking to recover debts, property disputes, and landlord-tenant issues. While parties are generally expected to represent themselves (pro se) in these courts, they are not prohibited from seeking legal advice or having an attorney represent them outside of the courtroom. The informal nature of small claims court is intended to provide a faster, less expensive, and more accessible means of resolving minor disputes than the traditional court system.