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In Chatham County, money disputes up to $15,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in Chatham County, court fees, the right courthouse, serving the defendant, the deadlines that apply, and the filing process itself. Squabble handles the documents and the filing if you want that.
Small claims in Chatham County are heard at the courthouse below. When you file, the court confirms the right location for your case based on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
About 307,336 people live in Chatham County. Chatham County Magistrate Court, in Savannah, is the courthouse listed for Chatham County.
Small claims can be filed electronically here, which means the case can begin without going to the counter.
Small claims hearings are held in person at the courthouse.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
Residents of Chatham County, Georgia, who wish to file a small claims case do so through the Georgia Magistrate Court system, which handles claims up to $15,000. The Chatham County Magistrate Court is located in Savannah at 133 Montgomery St #303,1, 31401, and can be reached at (912) 652-7181 or online at http://www.chathamcourts.org/MagistrateCourt.aspx. The court office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. Electronic filing is available. The court serves a county of roughly 307,336 people and covers communities including Savannah, Pooler, Port Wentworth, and Tybee Island, along with ZIP codes such as 31401, 31405, 31410, and 31419. Chatham County lies near Bryan County, Liberty County, and Effingham County. Questions about filing procedures, forms, and case information can be directed to the court by telephone during its posted business hours or reviewed on its website.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 4 communities:
Pooler, Port Wentworth, Savannah, Tybee Island.
ZIP codes:
Chatham County holds about 307,336 people, 5th of the 159 counties in Georgia. Chatham County Magistrate Court sits about 15 miles from the Bryan County courthouse in Pembroke and 17 miles from the Liberty County courthouse in Hinesville.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
This is the part of the court built for ordinary money arguments. The procedure is stripped back, and there is a ceiling on the amount at stake.
Maximum claim
You can generally file where the dispute happened or where the other party lives.
Splitting a single claim across multiple filings to dodge the ceiling is not permitted.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
Georgia allows attorneys at the hearing, but none is required. The procedures are designed for self-representation.
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.
Chatham County Magistrate Court is the courthouse listed for Chatham County. These are the limits for Chatham County, population about 307,336.
If someone owes you money, up to $15,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Chatham County takes in Pooler, Port Wentworth and Savannah and the rest of the county. Chatham County has about 307,336 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Write up what is owed on the claim form, select the courthouse, and settle the filing fee.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
The hearing is informal and quick, sometimes by video, and the judge decides on the spot or sends the outcome later.
This is the route a Chatham County case takes, whether it starts in 31322 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Everything below applies to a case filed in Chatham County, at the Savannah courthouse.
A filed case still has to reach the defendant. Formal notice, known as service of process, does that, and delivering it personally is generally not allowed. Courts in Georgia generally rely on delivery arranged by the court or email service where the court allows it.
The options usually include a sheriff or constable, a licensed process server, certified mail sent by the clerk, or any adult with no stake in the case. What is allowed, and what it costs, differs from county to county.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case. Some counties require sheriff to attempt service first before private process server.
A completed proof of service records who delivered the papers and when, and it is filed with the court beforehand.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Bryan County and Liberty County are the counties nearest to Chatham County. Addresses in Chatham County include places such as Pooler, Port Wentworth and Savannah.
Filing is only possible for a set time after the events. Beyond it, the other side can have the claim thrown out.
| Kind of claim | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 4 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
The same periods apply in Chatham County as in nearby Bryan County and Liberty County, which are in the same state. Chatham County, population about 307,336, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Georgia generally accrues interest at 7% per year before judgment (Ga. Code §7-4-2, §7-4-15).
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 21 Chatham County ZIP codes. The rate above is the one for Chatham County, population about 307,336.
Verify the figure is inside the limit and that you are still within the deadline for this claim type.
Get the defendant's legal name right, set out the events, and break down how the figure is reached.
File with the Chatham County small-claims court, or e-file, and pay the $58 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
After the hearing date is issued, arrange delivery of the papers and file the proof with the court.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Attend the hearing, in person or by video if that is offered, make your case, and receive the outcome.
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 →A claim form opens the case, a proof of service records that notice was given, and a fee waiver applies where you qualify. Titles differ between courts, and Squabble uses the ones your courthouse expects.
Chatham County papers go to Chatham County Magistrate Court in Savannah. Chatham County has a population of about 307,336.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Chatham County Magistrate Court sits at the 31401 address shown above. Pooler, Port Wentworth and Savannah are among the Chatham County places a hearing can draw parties from.
A judgment says what is owed. Getting hold of the money is the next stage, and the enforcement options open to you depend on the state.
Part of the debtor's earnings may be redirected toward the judgment where state law provides for it.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings the debtor owns.
The court can additionally require the debtor to appear and answer under oath about what they earn and own. An unsatisfied judgment usually carries statutory interest until it is paid.
Pooler, Port Wentworth and Savannah are among the Chatham County places a judgment debtor may live in. Bryan County and Liberty County are the counties nearest to Chatham County.
Last checked in August 2026. Court fees, limits and procedures move; verify them with the court first.
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 Chatham County case for you.
