Jurisdiction is set in law, constitutions, or case law. It is possible to have courts with overlapping jurisdiction and a person has a choice of in which court to file an action. Exclusive Jurisdiction Exclusive jurisdiction means that only a particular court can decide a case. An example of exclusive subject matter jurisdiction is bankruptcy court. Only in a federal bankruptcy court can a person file a bankruptcy action.
State courts have no jurisdiction in bankruptcy cases.
General Jurisdiction General jurisdiction means that a court has the ability to hear and decide a wide range of cases. Unless a law or constitutional provision denies them jurisdiction, courts of general jurisdiction can handle any kind of case. The California superior courts are general jurisdiction courts. Limited Jurisdiction Limited jurisdiction means that a court has restrictions on the cases it can decide. Small claims court is a court of limited jurisdiction.