A Small Claim
Ala. Code § 12-12-31 — district court's small claims docket for up to $6,000, with or without a lawyer
District court has exclusive jurisdiction over civil actions where the amount in controversy, not counting interest and costs, is $6,000 or less. Those cases go on a small claims docket under simplified rules.
Who handles this in Alabama: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Alabama directory.
- Any party may appear with or without an attorney; a partnership through a partner or employee, and a corporation through an officer or full time employee.
- A judgment including attorney fees goes only to a party represented by a licensed attorney.
- Someone who bought the claim from its original owner files only through a licensed attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Ala. Code § 12-12-31 — Small Claims Actions; Attorney Representation; When; Attorney Fees; Prosecution of Assigned Claims; License Required
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alabama attorney.