small-claims court
noun
: a special court intended to simplify and expedite the handling of small claims on debts
Examples of small-claims court in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashanti had represented his wife in small-claims court in a dispute with her former employer, a nonprofit wholly owned by a city agency — a clear conflict of interest.
—
Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 20 Dec. 2022
Beal and Thompson-Beal in 2013 went on the Judge Mathis TV show to settle a small-claims court lawsuit the mother filed against her daughter, according to Cleveland Municipal Court records.
—Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 19 Apr. 2021
So Joshua Browder, founder of DoNotPay, a service that helps people fight parking tickets and navigate small-claims court, has built an automated way to file.
—NBC News, 16 Apr. 2020
And contrary to the goal of small-claims court providing a quick legal decision, some cases can go on for years, the consumer advocacy group found.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2020
The group also said similar practices may be happening in small-claims courts in other states.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2020
But unlike most eviction cases that play out in small-claims court, this one went much higher — and with much wider implications for the rent-to-buy housing market.
—Crystal Hill, Indianapolis Star, 3 Dec. 2019
Your editorial suggests that arbitration is akin to small-claims court: You, a corporate representative and an arbitrator all work it out.
—WSJ, 6 May 2019
Patrick DeJean, the Marrero justice of the peace charged with pocketing public money, over-garnishing debtors' wages and keeping the excess, now stands accused of obstructing the federal grand jury investigation into his small-claims court.
—Drew Broach, NOLA.com, 27 Apr. 2018
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Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 20 Dec. 2022
Beal and Thompson-Beal in 2013 went on the Judge Mathis TV show to settle a small-claims court lawsuit the mother filed against her daughter, according to Cleveland Municipal Court records.
—Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 19 Apr. 2021
So Joshua Browder, founder of DoNotPay, a service that helps people fight parking tickets and navigate small-claims court, has built an automated way to file.
—NBC News, 16 Apr. 2020
And contrary to the goal of small-claims court providing a quick legal decision, some cases can go on for years, the consumer advocacy group found.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2020
The group also said similar practices may be happening in small-claims courts in other states.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2020
But unlike most eviction cases that play out in small-claims court, this one went much higher — and with much wider implications for the rent-to-buy housing market.
—Crystal Hill, Indianapolis Star, 3 Dec. 2019
Your editorial suggests that arbitration is akin to small-claims court: You, a corporate representative and an arbitrator all work it out.
—WSJ, 6 May 2019
Patrick DeJean, the Marrero justice of the peace charged with pocketing public money, over-garnishing debtors' wages and keeping the excess, now stands accused of obstructing the federal grand jury investigation into his small-claims court.
—Drew Broach, NOLA.com, 27 Apr. 2018
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'small-claims court.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1915, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of small-claims court was
in 1915
Dictionary Entries Near small-claims court
Cite this Entry
“Small-claims court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/small-claims%20court. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
small-claims court
noun
: a court intended to simplify the settling of disputes over small debts
Legal Definition
small claims court
noun
: a special court intended to simplify and expedite the resolution of minor disputes involving small claims
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