What is Civil Law

If you need to file a civil lawsuit or defend yourself from one, consulting with a civil litigation attorney can be vital to success. The processes involved in civil law can be complicated, and a qualified lawyer’s advice and guidance can help to bring your case to the most favorable outcome for you. Civil law involves the relationships of contract and exchange between private parties. Civil law includes all law that is not criminal law. It is divided into two branches:

Tort law (personal injury)
Torts include both cases of negligence and those where intentional wrongs result in harm. Tort law aims to provide relief to injured parties for damages caused by others. It also imposes liability on parties responsible for the harm. Furthermore, it can deter others from committing harm.
Contract law
Contract law is the body of law that governs, enforces, and interprets agreements related to an exchange of goods, services, money, or properties. Agreements made between people or business entities where a promise is made to do something in return for a gain or advantage are considered legally binding. Contract law is at the center of many business dealings. Anyone entering into a contract should be aware that failing to abide by the agreement, even mistakenly, could result in serious problems.

What Does a Civil Litigation Attorney Do?

A civil litigation attorney can take you through the complete process of filing and pursuing a non-criminal lawsuit. Your attorney can also advise you on whether your case is best suited for court or may be handled better outside of the courtroom. Some examples of civil litigation include these:

  • Personal injury
  • Destruction of private property
  • Alimony
  • Debt settlement
  • Contract disputes
  • Discrimination
  • Property disputes
  • Class action
  • Complaints against a city, state, or the federal government

Unlike criminal cases, civil cases are lodged by one person or entity. Civil law attorneys work on behalf of private clients, businesses, or government entities to resolve disputes and legal issues. They do not work with criminal cases but instead deal with law pertaining to people, relationships, property, and relationships.

A civil attorney may perform a variety of job tasks as part of their profession. They may:

  • Take depositions from their own or opposing parties’ witnesses
  • Investigate pertinent laws to identify the best arguments to make
  • Argue their cases in court trials
  • Draft legal documents
  • In some cases, they may negotiate settlements

Typically, a civil attorney’s goal is to acquire money for you or to prevent you from needing to pay any money. Or, if there is no way to avoid you paying money to the other party or parties, they’ll strive to minimize your financial responsibility.
Civil disputes can sometimes be resolved inexpensively by getting the parties together and resolving their differences. However, when the parties cannot work out their differences, litigation is needed, and a civil suit is required.
For any civil case, you will likely want to speak with an attorney who focuses on civil law. Schedule a consultation to discuss your situation and what your lawyer will do to represent you and improve your chances of winning.