small claims court
noun/ˌsmɔːl ˈkleɪmz kɔːt/
/ˌsmɔːl ˈkleɪmz kɔːrt/
- a local court which deals with cases involving small amounts of moneyCultureThe amount is up to £10 000 in Britain or $10 000 in the US. It is much cheaper to use small claims courts than any other type of court, and they are usually used by customers who feel that they have been treated in a dishonest way. People often act as their own lawyers. The court can also decide personal arguments that do not involve money, for example forcing somebody to return property to its owner.
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
small claims court