Q. What are the three levels of the New Jersey court system?
A. The Supreme Court, the Appellate Division and the trial court.
Q. How is the trial court organized?
A. The trial court is divided into divisions based on the type of case that is being filed. The divisions include the Law Division, the Chancery Division, the Criminal Division and the Family Division.
Q. Are there any subdivisions?
A. Yes, the Law Division has a Special Civil Part which handles all cases where the amount at stake is $20,000.00 or less. The Special Civil Part also has a Small Claims subpart which handles case where the amount at stake is $3000.00 or less. The Chancery Division includes a Probate Part, which deals with estates, wills and guardianships.
Q. What types of cases are filed in the Law Division?
A. These are usually seeking money damages only. Common cases are breach of contract and personal injury.
Q. What types of cases are filed in the Chancery Division?
A. Typically the cases seek primary relief other than money damages, such as injunctions, will contests and other probate matters, and real estate litigation.
Q. When does a case get to the Appellate Division?
A. Any final judgment of the trial court level may be appealed to the Appellate Division. A party who is dissatisfied with an Appellate Division decision may seek a further appeal in the Supreme Court, which is the final decider of all cases in New Jersey.
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