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 Indiana, small claims courts are part of the state's court system designed to handle disputes involving relatively small monetary amounts, typically allowing individuals to represent themselves without an attorney. The jurisdictional limit for small claims in Indiana is generally $8,000, although this amount can vary by county. These courts handle a variety of cases, such as debt recovery, landlord-tenant disputes, and other minor civil matters. Indiana does not require parties to be represented by attorneys in small claims proceedings, and in fact, the process is streamlined to make it accessible for non-lawyers. The judges presiding over these cases may not necessarily be called Justices of the Peace, as this title varies by state. In Indiana, they are typically referred to as small claims judges or magistrates.