A small-claims court is a state court where legal claims that fall below a statutory threshold - generally between $2,500 and $25,000 depending on the particular state - are adjudicated. The rules of evidence in small-claims courts are typically informal, and litigants often appear pro se. Judgments in small-claims court carry the same weight as any trial court, and successful litigants are entitled to an array of judgment enforcement remedies.
[Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]