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Gaines County resolves money disputes up to $20,000 in the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in Gaines 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 Gaines 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 Gaines County are Andrews County and Yoakum County. Gaines County covers 3 ZIP codes, including the Loop, Seagraves and Seminole areas.
This court works from paper filings, delivered in person or posted in. Squabble builds the packet so nothing is missing.
Hearings in small claims are attended in person at the courthouse.
Two sets of evidence are needed, one for the judge and one for the other side, and some courts also take it electronically in advance.
Residents of Gaines County, Texas, who wish to file a small claims case do so through the Justice Court of Texas system, which handles claims up to $20,000. In Gaines County, these cases are heard by the Gaines County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 1, located at 101 S Main St #100 in Seminole, 79360. The court can be reached by telephone at (432) 758-4015, and additional information is posted at http://www.co.gaines.tx.us/page/gaines.Justice.1. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is closed on Saturday and Sunday. The court serves a county of 22,892 people, including the communities of Loop, Seagraves, and Seminole, and the ZIP codes 79342, 79359, and 79360. Gaines County lies near Andrews County, Yoakum County, and Terry County. Electronic filing is not available for this court, so filings are handled at the courthouse itself during the hours listed above.
These 3 places sit inside Gaines County:
Loop, Seagraves, Seminole.
ZIP codes:
Gaines County holds about 22,892 people, 108th of the 254 counties in Texas.
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
You can generally file where the dispute happened or where the other party lives.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
The court decides who pays whom and how much. Anything beyond money goes to a higher court.
Texas 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 Gaines County, population about 22,892. Gaines County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 1 is the courthouse listed for Gaines County.
Small claims exists for money owed, up to $20,000. The categories below come up more than any others.
Gaines County takes in Loop, Seagraves and Seminole and the rest of the county. Gaines County has about 22,892 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
This is the route a Gaines County case takes, whether it starts in 79342 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Gaines County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 1 publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve the papers yourself.
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.
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.
Addresses in Gaines County include places such as Loop, Seagraves and Seminole. Andrews County and Yoakum County are the counties nearest to Gaines County.
The law fixes how long you have, counted from the dispute itself. A case brought later can be refused outright.
| Type of claim | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
The same periods apply in Gaines County as in nearby Andrews County and Yoakum County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one Gaines County ZIP code to another, 79342 included.
Money owed under a contract in Texas generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (Tex. Fin. Code §302.002).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
The rate above is the one for Gaines County, population about 22,892. Gaines County is under the same state rate as nearby Andrews County and Yoakum County.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File with the Gaines County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $45–$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.
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.
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.
Loop, Seagraves and Seminole are among the places in Gaines County that filings come from. Gaines County papers go to Gaines County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 1 in Seminole.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Hearings in Gaines County cases are listed at Gaines County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 1 in Seminole. Gaines County has about 22,892 residents.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Recording the judgment locally can place a lien against real property in the debtor's name.
You may also apply for an order compelling the debtor to attend and disclose income and assets on oath. Interest generally continues at the rate the state sets until the debt is met.
The judgment in a Gaines County case comes from Gaines County Justice of the Peace: Precinct 1 in Seminole. Andrews County and Yoakum County are the counties nearest to Gaines 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 Gaines County case for you.
