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Courts vary a lot by type and location. The four basic types are federal, state, civil, and criminal. Criminal and civil cases may be decided/heard in either state or federal courts. This article is my opinion and is not, legal advice. I am a judgment recovery expert, and not a lawyer. When you need legal advice or a strategy to use, please retain an attorney. An appeals court is a higher level court where parties can get a chance to undo or modify a criminal or civil judgment, when they are able to convince the judge(s) at the appeals court which the prior court made an error. A chancery court is an equity court modeled on the historical English system where a chancellor acted as the "King's conscience". Chancery courts consider a variety of issues including lawsuits, contract disputes, name changes, and applications for injunctions. Matters such as divorces, adoptions, and workers' compensation, may be decided at either chancery or circuit courts. Circuit courts are general purpose courts that hear criminal and civil cases; and sometimes make appellate decisions on lower court rulings. The jurisdiction of circuit courts may overlap with the chancery court system. A criminal court will consider situations where crimes were committed, and can be either state or federal. Unlike civil courts, the laws in court are enforced by police, and defendants get their constitutional right to be represented by a lawyer. Criminal courts can order restitution payments to a victim, although recovery attempts often needs to be through a civil court. Federal civil courts most often limit themselves to lawsuits involving violations of federal or constitutional laws, lawsuits against the United States, copyright, antitrust, bankruptcy, patent, the majority of maritime cases, and if parties are in different states and the amount disputed exceeds $75,000 (this is called diversity jurisdiction). Magistrate courts usually handle cases when bail has already been, or needs to be set, or a search warrant is needed. Certain magistrate courts handle civil lawsuits less than some certain amount, and in some states, the magistrate courts are also known as small claims courts. A municipal court is a state court dedicated to a specific county or city. Such courts handle minor criminal cases and traffic tickets, and occasionally tenant/landlord lawsuits, etc. Probate courts are often located by a county-by-county level, and have jurisdiction over the administration of estates, wills,conservatorships, the appointment of guardians, and forced hospitalizations. Certain probate courts also issue marriage licenses. Small claims courts are for disagreements about (smaller) amounts of money. Attorneys are usually not permitted to represent people at a small claims court. A state court is any court inside a state that aren't a part of the system of federal courts. State civil courts vary a lot, depending on their location. State courts usually decide cases involving traffic tickets, theft, contract disputes, common fraud, small claims, and family-related disputes. A superior court will consider and decide cases with large amounts at stake, and cases of felony crimes, divorces, and disputes about rights or title concerning real estate; and sometimes make appellate rulings on decisions from from previous courts. A supreme court is a higher-level court that considers and rules on important cases, as an example reviewing decisions made in lower appellate courts, and cases that involve state laws, and death sentence cases. Mark D. Shapiro of: http://www.JudgmentBuy.com - The easiest and fastest free method of finding the right professional to recover or buy a judgment.
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