Supreme Court, New York County (Manhattan)
Supreme Court hears larger money claims and anything that needs equitable relief: injunctions, specific performance, business dissolution, real property disputes and complex commercial cases. Most merchant cash advance and guaranty lawsuits are filed here. Each case is assigned to a justice who manages it through discovery, motions and trial.
Civil Court
Smaller money disputes go to the Civil Court of the City of New York, New York County (Manhattan). These courts handle unpaid invoices, consumer debt collection, security deposits and contract claims below their monetary limit. Procedure is lighter and cases move faster than in Supreme Court.
Specialty parts
The Commercial Division takes qualifying business cases above its monetary threshold and applies its own rules on discovery and motions. Small claims parts let individuals bring modest claims without a lawyer, and commercial claims parts let small businesses do the same. Housing matters, estates and family matters each have their own courts or parts.