What is the difference between Upper, Lower and Federal District Courts?
Civil records are often located in different courts commonly referred to as Upper or Lower courts. Civil records are normally divided between upper and lower courts based on the monetary amount of the claim. In some states, these courts are also referred to as Circuit or County courts. Upper level record searches generally involve monies greater than what is listed in the table below (amount varies by state), while Lower court, or Small Claims courts involve lesser sums in question. Divorce and marriage records may be found in Family or Domestic courts.
