squabbleapp.com is now squabble.ai. Your account and any active cases are unchanged.
The small-claims court in Chaves County handles money disputes up to $10,000, with simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
This page sets out the ceiling on claims, what the court charges, the courthouse that covers Chaves 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.
Small claims in Chaves 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.
Confirm the courthouse before you file. The court's own small-claims page carries its current filing location and hours, and Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
The nearest counties to Chaves County are Eddy County and Lea County. Roswell Magistrate Court, in Roswell, is the courthouse listed for Chaves 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 are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Have copies of your evidence for the bench and for the other party. Some courts take documents electronically before the hearing as well.
Residents of Chaves County, New Mexico, who wish to file a small claims case do so through the New Mexico Magistrate Court, which handles claims up to $10,000. The Roswell Magistrate Court, located in Roswell at 400 N. Virginia Ave., Ste G-1, 88201, serves the county, which has a population of 63,697 and includes the communities of Dexter, Hagerman, Lake Arthur, and Roswell, along with ZIP codes such as 88202, 88203, 88230, 88232, and 88253. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. Court staff can be reached at (575) 624-6088, and information about the state court system is published at http://www.nmcourts.gov/. Electronic filing is not available for these cases, so filings are handled in person at the courthouse. Chaves County lies near Eddy County, Lea County, and De Baca County, each of which is served by its own courts.
These 4 places sit inside Chaves County:
Dexter, Hagerman, Lake Arthur, Roswell.
ZIP codes:
Chaves County holds about 63,697 people, 10th of the 33 counties in New Mexico. Roswell Magistrate Court, in Roswell, is about 36 miles from the Eddy County courthouse in Carlsbad and 47 miles from the Lea County courthouse in Hobbs.
Counties nearest to this one:
The small claims track exists for routine money disputes: fewer formalities, and a cap on what can be claimed.
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.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in New Mexico, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
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.
Chaves County is under the same limits as nearby Eddy County and Lea County. Roswell Magistrate Court is the courthouse listed for Chaves County.
Debts up to $10,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Roswell Magistrate Court is the Chaves County courthouse listed below. Chaves County has about 63,697 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.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
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.
Roswell Magistrate Court publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. Roswell Magistrate Court lists (575) 624-6088 as its number.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
Each court sets how far before the hearing the defendant must be served. The clerk confirms your deadline when the hearing date is set.
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.
A Chaves County address carries one of its 6 ZIP codes, 88201, 88202 and 88203 among them. Eddy County and Lea County are the counties nearest to Chaves 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.
| Kind of claim | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 4 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
They do not change from one Chaves County ZIP code to another, 88201 included. The same periods apply in Chaves County as in nearby Eddy County and Lea County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in New Mexico generally accrues interest at 8.75% per year before judgment (N.M. Stat. §56-8-4).
The Squabble interest calculator shows what the accrued figure comes to on top of the principal.
Chaves County is under the same state rate as nearby Eddy County and Lea County. It is the same rate across all 6 Chaves County ZIP codes.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
Name the correct party, describe what happened, and show how the amount is calculated.
File with the Chaves County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $25–$75 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.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Attend, in the courtroom or by video where the court allows it, put your case, and hear the ruling.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
Start for FREE →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Chaves County papers go to Roswell Magistrate Court in Roswell. Chaves County takes in filings from 6 ZIP codes, 88201 first in the list.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
Hearings in Chaves County cases are listed at Roswell Magistrate Court in Roswell. Dexter, Hagerman and Lake Arthur are among the Chaves 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.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
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.
Eddy County and Lea County are the counties nearest to Chaves County. The judgment in a Chaves County case comes from Roswell Magistrate Court in Roswell.
Last reviewed August 2026. Court fees, limits, and procedures change. Verify current details with the court 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 Chaves County case for you.
