In North Carolina, there are three levels of trial court that handle civil litigation: Small Claims / Magistrate Court, District Court, and Superior Court. How do you know which level to file your suit with? What warrants a case to be filed on the Superior Court level? A key factor in determining which level of court to litigate a case depends on the dollar amount being disputed. But civil litigation isn’t always this black and white. Civil litigation rules in North Carolina are complex, and an experienced lawyer is absolutely vital when facing the prospect of litigation in Superior Court (or any court, for that matter). Civil law firm, The Doyle Law Offices, P.A., created this infographic to break down the levels of the NC civil court and outlines the path to a trial in NC Superior Court into 6 steps from the Plaintiff starting a law suit by filing the complaint, to service of process, responsive pleading, discovery, mediation, to actually taking the case to a jury or bench trial.
Infographic Source : https://www.thedoylelawoffices.com/civil-litigation-a-roadmap-to-trial-in-nc-civil-court/