Civil Division

With the unification of the Municipal and Superior courts, the unified court has jurisdiction over all civil and small claims cases.

What is a Small Claims Case?

When the amount being sought is $5,000 or less, then the claim may be filed in Small Claims.

What is a Limited Civil Case?

The claims that used to be filed in Municipal Court are now known as "Limited Civil" at Superior Court. The amount claimed cannot be for more than $25,000.

What is an Unlimited Civil Case?

The claims that used to be filed in Superior Court are now known as "Unlimited Civil" at Superior Court. The amount claimed is generally more than $25,000, but can be for smaller amounts in certain types of cases.

Forms and Filing

Forms may be either purchased in the civil division clerk's office or obtained on-line from the Judicial Council website. By law, the clerks can not provide legal advice, including which forms to use.

Fees

See the Fee Schedule in our Forms & Filing page for civil filing and appearance fees. If you believe that you are unable to afford these fees, ask the court clerk for an application for a fee waiver. There is no charge for this form.