Jurisdiction is the Court’s authority over a lawsuit. Jurisdictions are the appropriate counties where Courts have the legal power to resolve disputes between parties.

There are several types of jurisdictions, but we are concerning ourselves with basic court authority. Determining the accurate county in which to file a lawsuit is really important. If a case is filed in the wrong jurisdiction, the Court may reject the filing.

Courts with jurisdiction are allowed to levy their authority over individuals, businesses, and the government itself. Courts may only exercise their authority when a lawsuit is filed properly.

Simply put, jurisdiction gives the Court power to adjudicate. If the Court does not have jurisdiction over a claim or parties, it cannot resolve any matter.

Here is an example:

Penny lives in California, a different state than who she issuing. Penny must determine which Court has authority over the defendant who lived in Georgia, but moved to Florida. To file a case in a proper Court with jurisdiction, Penny must determine where the harm occurred and the defendant’s residence.