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Money disputes up to $12,000 are settled in the Lawrence County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Below is what you need for a small claims case in Lawrence County: the limit, filing fees, which courthouse to use, how to serve the other side, your deadlines, and how to file. When you're ready, Squabble prepares everything and files it for you.
Lawrence 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.
Not sure which courthouse? Use the court's official court locator to match your ZIP code to the correct location, or let Squabble identify it for you automatically. Hub courthouses can change; confirm before you file.
Small claims filings from Lawrence County are handled at Lawrence County Courthouse in New Castle. The nearest counties to Lawrence County are Mercer County and Butler County.
Paper filing is the route at this court, either in person or by post. Squabble puts the documents together in the form the clerk expects.
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 Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, who wish to file a small claims case do so through the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court system, which handles civil claims up to $12,000. The county has a population of 84,233 and includes communities such as New Castle, Ellwood City, New Wilmington, Wampum, Bessemer, and Volant, along with ZIP codes including 16101, 16105, 16117, and 16142. The Lawrence County Courthouse is located in New Castle at 430 Court St, 16101, and can be reached by telephone at (724) 658-2541. Lawrence County lies near Mercer County, Butler County, and Beaver County. Electronic filing is not available for small claims cases in this county, so filings are handled in paper form. A magisterial district judge hears the case and issues a decision. Anyone seeking information about filing procedures, required forms, or fees can contact the courthouse directly using the telephone number listed above or visit the courthouse in person in New Castle.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 14 communities:
Bessemer, Edinburg, Ellwood City, Enon Valley, Hillsville, New Bedford, New Castle, New Galilee, New Wilmington, Pulaski, Villa Maria, Volant, Wampum, West Pittsburg.
ZIP codes:
Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, Lawrence County is 33rd by population at roughly 84,233 people. Lawrence County Courthouse, in New Castle, is about 8 miles from the Mercer County courthouse in Mercer and 13 miles from the Butler County courthouse in Butler.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
Filing is generally possible in the county of the events or the county of the defendant.
One dispute cannot be broken into several cases to slip under the cap.
The remedy here is money. Orders telling someone to do or stop something sit with higher courts.
Lawyers are allowed at a Pennsylvania hearing but are not needed. The procedure is written 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.
Lawrence County is under the same limits as nearby Mercer County and Butler County. They are the same across all 20 Lawrence County ZIP codes, from 16101 onward.
If someone owes you money, up to $12,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Lawrence County takes in Bessemer, Edinburg and Ellwood City and the rest of the county. Lawrence County has about 84,233 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.
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 Lawrence County, at the New Castle courthouse. This is the route a Lawrence County case takes, whether it starts in 16101 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
Once the case is on file, the law requires the other side to be told about it formally. That step is service of process, and the papers cannot normally come from your own hand. Courts in Pennsylvania generally rely on 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.
Depending on the court: the sheriff or constable, a professional process server, the clerk by certified mail, or another adult who isn't part of the case. Methods and costs vary by county.
Each court sets how far before the hearing the defendant must be served. The clerk confirms your deadline when the hearing date is set. Service must be at least 10 days before hearing. With exception of Philadelphia, all counties do certified mail.
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.
Addresses in Lawrence County include places such as Bessemer, Edinburg and Ellwood City. A Lawrence County address carries one of its 20 ZIP codes, 16101, 16102 and 16103 among them.
There is a cut-off for bringing a case, counted from when the dispute began. Miss it and the claim can be barred entirely.
| What the claim is about | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one Lawrence County ZIP code to another, 16101 included. Lawrence County, population about 84,233, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Pennsylvania generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (41 P.S. §202).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
The rate above is the one for Lawrence County, population about 84,233. It is the same rate across all 20 Lawrence County ZIP codes.
Check that the amount is within the limit and that you're inside the statute of limitations for your claim type.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File with the Lawrence County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $30–$100 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Once the court fixes a date, have the papers served and return the proof of service to the file.
Gather the paperwork and label your exhibits so each point can be shown quickly.
Appear in person or, where available, remotely, present your case, and receive the court's decision.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
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.
Bessemer, Edinburg and Ellwood City are among the places in Lawrence County that filings come from. Lawrence County papers go to Lawrence County Courthouse in New Castle.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Bessemer, Edinburg and Ellwood City are among the Lawrence County places a hearing can draw parties from. Hearings in Lawrence County cases are listed at Lawrence County Courthouse in New Castle.
A judgment is the court's decision. Collecting it is a separate step, with court-backed tools if the other side doesn't pay. Which tools are available depends on state law.
Wage garnishment, where the state permits it, sends part of the debtor's pay toward the judgment.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
There is also an examination procedure: the debtor is ordered to attend and give sworn answers about earnings and assets. Interest normally accrues at the statutory rate until payment.
Mercer County and Butler County are the counties nearest to Lawrence County. The judgment in a Lawrence County case comes from Lawrence County Courthouse in New Castle.
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 Lawrence County case for you.
