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 New Jersey, the Small Claims section is a part of the Special Civil Part of the Superior Court where individuals and businesses can sue for money damages up to $3,000, or up to $5,000 if the claim is for the return of a tenant's security deposit. This is lower than the jurisdictional limits of many other states. Attorneys are allowed to represent parties in small claims court in New Jersey, unlike some states such as California. The types of disputes commonly handled in small claims court include those related to debt recovery and residential landlord-tenant issues. In New Jersey, the judges presiding over these cases are not referred to as Justices of the Peace, and the courts are not called JP courts. Instead, they are part of the established state court system and are presided over by judges appointed to the Superior Court.