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Courts and procedure

Jurisdiction

A court's legal power to rule on a particular kind of case.[1]

In more detail

State law divides jurisdiction among courts; in Florida, for example, county courts hear smaller civil cases and circuit courts hear larger ones and family cases.[2][3] Jurisdiction is different from venue, which is about location.[1]

Varies by state

Each state sets its own courts' jurisdiction. Find your state’s rules.

Related terms

  • VenueThe geographic area, such as the county or district, where a case is filed and heard.
  • County court (Florida)In Florida, the trial court that hears smaller civil cases, including small claims, along with misdemeanors and ordinance violations.
  • Circuit court (Florida)In Florida, the main trial court.

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Sources

The official documents this definition is based on, with the date we last read each one. Definitions are in our own words.

  1. Glossary of Legal Termsuscourts.govchecked ↩
  2. Fla. Stat. § 34.01 (Jurisdiction of county court)leg.state.fl.uschecked ↩
  3. Fla. Stat. § 26.012 (Jurisdiction of circuit court)leg.state.fl.uschecked ↩

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MediationList. (2026, October 28). Jurisdiction: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/jurisdiction/

APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.