Civil State Trial Courts

State trial courts of general jurisdiction that handle civil cases which involve personal injury, property damage or liability, medical or dental malpractice, real estate actions, equity suits such as injunction proceedings, specific performance contract disputes, administration of trusts and foreclosure on mortgages; and, in jurisdictions where there are no specialized courts, adoptions, probate, family law and psychiatric cases. In some states, a distinction is made between municipal civil courts which hear cases involving monetary claims lower than an established amount and superior civil courts which hear all other civil cases. The type of cases handled by civil trial courts varies by state.