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 West Virginia, small claims courts are a division of the Magistrate Court system and are designed to handle disputes involving relatively small amounts of money in a less formal setting than higher courts. The jurisdictional limit for small claims in West Virginia is $10,000, meaning that the amount in dispute must not exceed this figure. Parties in small claims court in West Virginia are allowed to represent themselves (pro se), but they also have the option to be represented by an attorney if they choose. The types of cases typically heard in small claims court include, but are not limited to, recovery of debts, property damage, and landlord-tenant disputes. The judges presiding over these cases are known as magistrates, and the proceedings are intended to be more accessible and expedient than those in higher courts.