Maryland
The District Court in Maryland has jurisdiction of civil cases of $30,000 or less and is geared to a resolution of the case within 90-120 days after being filed. Those cases in excess of $30,000 or where a jury is demanded in a District Course case when the amount sued for is $10,000 or more are processed in the Circuit Courts. Depending upon the Maryland County in which the case is filed, this court is generally geared towards resolution within 8-10 months from the date of filing.
District of Columbia
The Small Claims Court in the District of Columbia has jurisdiction of any civil case without a jury up to $10,000 in value. This court is geared towards a trial within 1-2 months of the original filing of the case.
The Civil Division of the Superior Court handles civil matters in excess of $10,000.00 or Small Claims cases where a jury is requested. A special calendar has been established for collection matters to place them on a fast track and get them to trail within 6 months from the date of their being filed.
Virginia
The General District Court handles civil cases up to and including the amount of $15,000. It is geared towards trials within 60 days but does not allow discovery of the defendant’s defense.
The Circuit Court in Virginia handles cases of $3000 or more and has concurrent jurisdiction with the General District Court up to $15,000. The Circuit Court does allow for discovery but the cases may not be disposed of for at least a year from the time of filing.