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In New Castle County, money disputes up to $25,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in New Castle County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
New Castle County runs several hub courthouses for these cases. Assignment follows the ZIP code of the defendant or of the dispute itself.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Locations change. The court publishes its current small-claims address on its own page; Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
2 courthouses serve New Castle County, Justice of the Peace Court 13 - New Castle County among them. The nearest counties to New Castle County are Kent County and Sussex County.
Small claims are filed here on paper, at the counter or through the mail. Squabble prepares the full packet before it goes.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
Small claims cases in New Castle County, Delaware are heard by the Delaware Justice of the Peace Court, which handles claims up to $25000. Two locations serve the county. Justice of the Peace Court 13 - New Castle County sits at 2 Penns Way Suite 203 in New Castle, 19720, and can be reached at (302) 323-6070 or through https://courts.delaware.gov/locations/jp13.aspx. Wilmington County Justice of the Peace Court 20 is located at 500 N King St. in Wilmington, 19801, with the phone number (302) 574-1500 and the page https://courts.delaware.gov/locations/jp20.aspx. Both courts are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and are closed Saturday and Sunday. The county has a population of 588,093 and includes communities such as Bear, Claymont, Hockessin, Middletown, Newark, Odessa, and Townsend, along with ZIP codes including 19701, 19711, 19713, 19720, and 19734. Kent County and Sussex County lie near New Castle County. Electronic filing is not available for these courts.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 17 communities:
Bear, Claymont, Delaware City, Hockessin, Kirkwood, Middletown, Montchanin, New Castle, Newark, Odessa, Port Penn, Rockland, Saint Georges, Townsend, Wilmington, Winterthur, Yorklyn.
Of Delaware's 3 counties, New Castle County is 1st by population at roughly 588,093 people. Justice of the Peace Court 13 - New Castle County, in New Castle, is about 18 miles from the Kent County courthouse in Dover and 36 miles from the Sussex County courthouse in Georgetown.
Counties nearest to this one:
Everyday disputes over money belong in the small claims division, where the rules are simplified, and the sum in question has an upper bound.
Maximum claim
Venue follows the defendant: their county, not the county of the dispute.
A single argument stays a single case; it cannot be carved up to fit the limit.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
Delaware permits lawyers at the hearing without requiring them. Everything is built around people presenting their own case.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
Over the limit? You can lower your claim to fit and stay in small claims, or file the full amount in regular civil court. Lowering usually means giving up the excess, so weigh it carefully.
These are the limits for New Castle County, population about 588,093. They are the same across all 54 New Castle County ZIP codes, from 19701 onward.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $25,000, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
New Castle County takes in Bear, Claymont and Delaware City and the rest of the county. New Castle County has about 588,093 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Set out the claim on the court's form, identify the correct courthouse, and pay the fee.
Papers are delivered to the defendant, who may answer them or settle the matter first.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
Justice of the Peace Court 13 - New Castle County publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. This is the route a New Castle County case takes, whether it starts in 19701 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
Filing is only half of it. The defendant has to receive formal notice, a step called service of process, and in most cases you cannot hand over the papers yourself. Delaware courts usually take delivery by delivery arranged by the court, email service where the court allows it, certified mail, the sheriff or constable or personal delivery by an approved server.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change by county.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date. Defendant MUST reside in Delaware.
After delivery, the server fills out a proof of service, and that goes on the court file before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A New Castle County address carries one of its 54 ZIP codes, 19701, 19702 and 19703 among them. Kent County and Sussex County are the counties nearest to New Castle County.
A claim has to be filed inside a set period that starts when the dispute arose. After that point the court may decline to hear it.
| What the claim is about | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 3 years |
| Oral contract | 3 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one New Castle County ZIP code to another, 19701 included. The same periods apply in New Castle County as in nearby Kent County and Sussex County, which are in the same state.
In Delaware, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (Del. Code tit. 6 §2301).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
It is the same rate across all 54 New Castle County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for New Castle County, population about 588,093.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File at the New Castle County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $35–$45 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
Describe the dispute to Eleanor. Squabble drafts the paperwork, puts it through a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and lodges it with the court.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
Bear, Claymont and Delaware City are among the places in New Castle County that filings come from. A New Castle County filing goes to one of 2 courthouses, Justice of the Peace Court 13 - New Castle County among them.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
New Castle County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. Bear, Claymont and Delaware City are among the New Castle County places a hearing can draw parties from.
The ruling establishes the debt. Recovery is a further step, supported by enforcement measures that are set by each state.
Part of the debtor's earnings may be redirected toward the judgment where state law provides for it.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings the debtor owns.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
Bear, Claymont and Delaware City are among the New Castle County places a judgment debtor may live in. Kent County and Sussex County are the counties nearest to New Castle County.
Checked August 2026. Because courts revise fees, limits and procedures, confirm the current position before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your New Castle County case for you.
