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 Alabama, small claims courts are part of the state's court system designed to handle disputes involving relatively small monetary amounts, typically where the parties represent themselves. The jurisdictional limit for small claims in Alabama is $6,000, which means that the court can adjudicate cases where the amount in dispute does not exceed this threshold. Common types of cases heard in small claims courts include debt recovery and landlord-tenant disputes. While small claims courts are intended to be accessible and less formal, allowing individuals to represent themselves (pro se), parties are not prohibited from being represented by an attorney if they choose to do so. The judges presiding over these courts may not necessarily be called Justices of the Peace, as the terminology can vary by state.