Small-claims Courts in The United States
The movement to establish small-claims courts typically began in the early 1960s, when justice of the peace courts were increasingly being seen as obsolete and it was felt to be desirable to have such a court to allow people to represent themselves without legal counsel. In New York State, the establishment of small claims courts came in response to the 1958 findings of Governor Thomas E. Dewey's Tweed Commission on the reorganization of the state judiciary. Since then, the movement to establish small-claims courts has led to their establishment in most U.S. states.
There is no equivalent to a small-claims court in the federal court. (Note that Congress has set the jurisdictional minimum for Diversity jurisdiction cases at $75,000). Magistrate judges are authorized to handle certain preliminary matters.
Since the year 2010, the costs of filing fees have increased in almost every state court system. Filing fees typically range from US$15 to $150, depending on the claim amount.
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