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 Montana (MT), small claims courts are part of the state's court system designed to handle minor civil disputes without the need for attorneys. The jurisdictional limit for small claims in Montana is $7,000, meaning that the court can hear cases where the amount in dispute does not exceed this limit. These courts are intended to be accessible and user-friendly, allowing individuals to represent themselves (pro se) without the complexities of formal legal procedures. Common types of cases heard in Montana's small claims courts include debt recovery and landlord-tenant disputes. In Montana, the small claims courts are not referred to as JP courts, and the judges are not called Justices of the Peace. Instead, these judges are typically called small claims court judges or simply judges. The focus of small claims court is to provide a streamlined and cost-effective forum for parties to resolve their disputes quickly.