squabbleapp.com is now squabble.ai. Your account and any active cases are unchanged.
In Hopkins County, money disputes up to $2,500 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers Hopkins County, how notice reaches the other party, the time limits, and the filing steps. Squabble can prepare and lodge the paperwork when you decide to go ahead.
Hopkins County hears small claims at the courthouse listed here, with the venue confirmed at filing from the defendant's address or the location of the dispute.
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.
Hopkins County covers 10 ZIP codes, including the Dawson Springs, Earlington and Hanson areas. The nearest counties to Hopkins County are Webster County and Caldwell County.
Filings here are on paper, brought to the counter or posted. Squabble assembles the packet so it is complete when it arrives.
Small claims hearings are held in person at the courthouse.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
Residents of Hopkins County, Kentucky, a county of about 45,218 people, can file small claims cases through the Kentucky Small Claims Division, which handles disputes up to $2,500. Cases are heard at Hopkins County District Court: Small Claims, located at 120 E. Center St. in Madisonville, 42431. The office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court can be reached at (270) 824-7502, and county court information is posted at https://kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Hopkins.aspx. Electronic filing is not available in this county, so filings are handled at the courthouse. The county includes Madisonville, Dawson Springs, Earlington, Hanson, Manitou, Mortons Gap, Nebo, Nortonville, Saint Charles, and White Plains, along with ZIP codes such as 42408, 42410, 42413, 42436, 42440, 42441, 42442, 42453, and 42464. Hopkins County lies near Webster County, Caldwell County, and McLean County, and the Madisonville courthouse serves the small claims caseload arising within the county.
Hopkins County covers these 10 towns and cities:
Dawson Springs, Earlington, Hanson, Madisonville, Manitou, Mortons Gap, Nebo, Nortonville, Saint Charles, White Plains.
ZIP codes:
Of Kentucky's 120 counties, Hopkins County is 24th by population at roughly 45,218 people.
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
One dispute cannot be broken into several cases to slip under the cap.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
Kentucky allows attorneys at the hearing, but none is required. The procedures are designed for self-representation.
Under-18s are represented by a guardian the court appoints.
Over the limit? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
Hopkins County is under the same limits as nearby Webster County and Caldwell County. Hopkins County District Court: Small Claims is the courthouse listed for Hopkins County.
Debts up to $2,500 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Hopkins County District Court: Small Claims is the Hopkins County courthouse listed below. Hopkins County has about 45,218 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 brief, informal hearing, in person or, where the court offers it, by video. The judge rules at the hearing or sends the decision after.
Everything below applies to a case filed in Hopkins County, at the Madisonville courthouse. This is the route a Hopkins County case takes, whether it starts in 42408 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself.
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.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case.
Whoever serves the papers completes a proof of service, which is filed with the court 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.
Webster County and Caldwell County are the counties nearest to Hopkins County. A Hopkins County address carries one of its 10 ZIP codes, 42408, 42410 and 42413 among them.
The law fixes how long you have, counted from the dispute itself. A case brought later can be refused outright.
| Kind of claim | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 10 years |
| Oral contract | 5 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 1 year |
They do not change from one Hopkins County ZIP code to another, 42408 included. Hopkins County, population about 45,218, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Kentucky generally accrues interest at 8% per year before judgment (Ky. Rev. Stat. §360.010).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
Hopkins County is under the same state rate as nearby Webster County and Caldwell County. The rate above is the one for Hopkins County, population about 45,218.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File with the Hopkins County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $25–$65 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.
Gather the paperwork and label your exhibits so each point can be shown quickly.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
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.
Hopkins County papers go to Hopkins County District Court: Small Claims in Madisonville. Hopkins County takes in filings from 10 ZIP codes, 42408 first in the list.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
Hearings in Hopkins County cases are listed at Hopkins County District Court: Small Claims in Madisonville. Hopkins County has about 45,218 residents.
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.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
A court-ordered levy allows funds to be taken from the debtor's bank account.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property 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.
Webster County and Caldwell County are the counties nearest to Hopkins County. The judgment in a Hopkins County case comes from Hopkins County District Court: Small Claims in Madisonville.
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 Hopkins County case for you.
