Surcharge
A division of most municipal, city or other lowest local courts which hear cases involving relatively small amounts of money and without a request for court orders like eviction. the highest (jurisdictional) amount that can be considered in small claims court varies by state, but goes as high as $5,000 in california. in small claims court, attorneys may not represent clients, the filing fee is low, there is no jury, the procedure is fairly informal, each side has a short time to present his/her case and the right to appeal only permits a trial de novo (a new trial) at the next court level. often the judge is an experienced lawyer sitting as a pro tem judge. small claims court is a quick, inexpensive way to settle lesser legal disputes, although the controversies are often important to the participants. the well-known television program people’s court is intended to be a good example of a small claims court.
