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If you or your corporation has a dispute and the amount of the claim is $50,000 or less, you can get assistance in Civil Court. For the most up-to-date information on court operations, check the Civil Court website.

You must fill out the Application for a Pro Se Summons form and submit it to the clerk in the county where you are suing, along with payment of the court fee. The fee must be paid by cash, certified check, money order or bank check. Personal checks will not be accepted.

General Civil cases includes matters where parties are seeking monetary relief up to $50,000. The Housing Part hears landlord-tenant matters and cases involving maintenance of housing standards. The Small Claims Part hears cases where parties are seeking monetary relief up to $10,000.

The case could be about a contract dispute, damage to property, injury to a person, credit card or other debt, work-related disputes, and more.

If the dispute is not settled after 30 days, you can start a case in court. Don't wait more than a year and 90 days to file your case in court or you will be time barred by the statute of limitations. Read General Municipal Law 50-E.

Complete the Civil complaint form fully and neatly. Be sure to provide enough information so the person you are suing knows why he or she is being sued. Once the complaint is completed, you must file it at the correct Magisterial District Court office. Be prepared to pay the filing fees.

An example of pro se representation is representing yourself or your business in court without an attorney. Or, you could be involved in a lawsuit where the other side is self-represented. There are valid grounds for pro se representation in certain circumstances.

The federal court system has three main levels: district courts (the trial court), circuit courts which are the first level of appeal, and the Supreme Court of the United States, the final level of appeal in the federal system.