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Small claims court is a simple, speedy and informal court process in which the plaintiff (the person suing) is seeking a money judgment of $6,000 or less. Parties involved in small claims cases often represent themselves but they may also hire an attorney. Small claims court is a session of the District Court.

Under Maine law, a judge can't schedule a final divorce hearing until at least 60 days have passed since the defendant was served with the divorce paperwork. Your divorce may be finalized any time after the 60-day period, but a lot will depend on how quickly you and your spouse can resolve the issues in your case.

If you disagree with a decision from a Maine court in a divorce or other family law case, you may be able to file an appeal to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, sitting as the Law Court.

If you have been served with court papers in a divorce or parental rights and responsibilities case, you may file a written response (called an "answer") within 21 days of when you received the papers. Your answer or response may include a ?counterclaim? (a claim against the plaintiff).

In either case, Maine law requires a minimum 60-day waiting period between the filing of all the necessary divorce paperwork and the final hearing. Your case may take longer than 60 days, especially if you and your spouse do not agree on all issues.

The fee to file a Small Claim is $40 which includes the cost of postage and a mediation fee. Checks or money orders for the $40 filing fee should be made payable to ?Maine District Court?. An essential part of a Small Claims case is notifying the defendant about the case.