Money limits
If your claim is over about $3,000, Supreme Court is usually required. Below that, Town and village justice courts throughout Rockland County is often the better forum because cases move quickly and judges expect short, focused papers.
Type of relief
If you need a court to order someone to do or stop doing something — return equipment, stop using a trade name, honor a contract — you generally need Supreme Court.
Cost and speed
Supreme Court cases involve preliminary conferences, scheduled discovery and motion practice that can take a year or more. Lower-court cases often resolve in months.