squabbleapp.com is now squabble.ai. Your account and any active cases are unchanged.
In Jefferson County, money disputes up to $20,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Read on for the claim ceiling, the fees, the courthouse serving Jefferson County, the way the other side is notified, the cut-off dates, and each filing step. Squabble prepares the paperwork and files it on your behalf.
Jefferson County hears small claims at several hub courthouses. The right one depends on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened. The court matches your ZIP code to a courthouse.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Which courthouse takes your case? The court's own locator maps a ZIP code to the right building, and Squabble works it out for you as part of filing. Locations are revised from time to time, so check before you go.
Jefferson County has 4 courthouses listed above; Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1-1 is one of them. About 253,948 people live in Jefferson County.
This court takes small-claims filings electronically, so the case can be started from home.
Small claims hearings are held 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 Jefferson County, Texas, which has a population of 253,948 and includes communities such as Beaumont, Nederland, Port Arthur, Port Neches, Groves, China, Nome, Hamshire, and Sabine Pass, can file small claims cases in the Justice Court of Texas system, where the claim limit is $20,000. Three justice court locations serve the county. The Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1-1 sits at 1085 Pearl St., Rm 105, Beaumont, 77701, and can be reached at (409) 835-8522. The Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 is located at 19217 FM 365, Beaumont, 77705, with the phone number (409) 434-5460 and information posted at https://co.jefferson.tx.us/JP/jp4.htm. The Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Court: Precinct 1 Small Claims is at 20205 US-90, Beaumont, 77713, with information at https://co.jefferson.tx.us/prct1/html/index.aspx. Electronic filing is not available in this county. Jefferson County lies near Orange County, Chambers County, and Hardin County, and county ZIP codes include 77627, 77640, and 77706.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
These 9 places sit inside Jefferson County:
Beaumont, China, Groves, Hamshire, Nederland, Nome, Port Arthur, Port Neches, Sabine Pass.
ZIP codes:
Of Texas's 254 counties, Jefferson County is 22nd by population at roughly 253,948 people. Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1-1, in Beaumont, is about 11 miles from the Orange County courthouse in Orange and 21 miles from the Chambers County courthouse in Anahuac.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
The county where it happened and the county where they live are both generally available.
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.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in Texas, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? Two routes exist: reduce the claim to the cap and stay here, or take the full sum to regular civil court. Reducing it normally forfeits the difference.
Jefferson County has 4 courthouses listed on this page. Jefferson County is under the same limits as nearby Orange County and Chambers County.
Debts up to $20,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Jefferson County has about 253,948 residents. Jefferson County takes in Beaumont, China and Groves and the rest of the county.
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.
The other side is formally served and has the chance to respond, or to settle before the hearing.
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.
This is the route a Jefferson County case takes, whether it starts in 77613 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1-1 lists (409) 835-8522 as its number.
Filing is only half of it. The defendant has to receive formal notice, a step called service of process, and in most cases you cannot hand over 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.
Courts set their own cut-off for how many days before the hearing notice must land. The clerk gives you that date along with the hearing date.
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 Jefferson County include places such as Beaumont, China and Groves. A Jefferson County address carries one of its 25 ZIP codes, 77613, 77619 and 77622 among them.
Every claim carries a filing window that opens when the dispute happens. Once it closes, the court can turn the case away.
| Claim type | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
The same periods apply in Jefferson County as in nearby Orange County and Chambers County, which are in the same state. They do not change from one Jefferson County ZIP code to another, 77613 included.
Money owed under a contract in Texas generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (Tex. Fin. Code §302.002).
The Squabble interest calculator shows what the accrued figure comes to on top of the principal.
It is the same rate across all 25 Jefferson County ZIP codes. Jefferson County is under the same state rate as nearby Orange County and Chambers County.
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 at the Jefferson County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $51 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Arrange your evidence and number the exhibits so nothing has to be searched for on the day.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →Claim form starts the case · Proof of service shows the defendant was notified · Fee waiver if you qualify. Exact form names vary by court; Squabble prepares the right ones for your courthouse.
Beaumont, China and Groves are among the places in Jefferson County that filings come from. A Jefferson County filing goes to one of 4 courthouses, Jefferson County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1-1 among them.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Jefferson County hearings are held at one of its 4 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. Jefferson County has about 253,948 residents.
The ruling establishes the debt. Recovery is a further step, supported by enforcement measures that are set by each state.
Where the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
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.
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.
A Jefferson County judgment comes from one of its 4 listed courthouses. Orange County and Chambers County are the counties nearest to Jefferson County.
Reviewed August 2026. Fees, limits and procedures are revised from time to time, so confirm them with the court before you file.
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 Jefferson County case for you.
