If I want to sue someone, how do I know which court has jurisdiction over the case?

If I want to sue someone, how do I know which court has jurisdiction over the case?

Paul Bergman (Professor, UCLA School of Law) gives expert video advice on: Is it sensible to appear in court without a lawyer?; How do I know if I have a good case?; If I want to sue someone, how do I know which court has jurisdiction over the case?

Finding out which court is the right court to sue, can often be a difficult task in itself. Typically, wherever the action took place is the clue to which court to sue. For example, if there was a car accident, or a contract was signed, typically, the state in which that happened, would be the correct place to sue. However, sometimes you have a choice of courts. You might have a choice between a federal court and a state court. Even within a state court system, one type of court may have jurisdiction. For example, if it's a family law court, you would have to file the case in a family law court if it involves an issue involving family law and not in a court that handles automobile cases. So finding the right court can be tricky. Looking at the court rules that each legal system publishes is probably the best way to go about it.