What Are Civil Cases?
In a nutshell, in a civil law case, one party requests some type of satisfaction from the other party because of a dispute. This satisfaction is usually money or a different kind of tangible compensation. Both the plaintiff and the defendant hire a civil law attorney to represent their interests. The parties in civil law cases can be individuals or companies, and civil cases can be filed in state or federal court.
Most civil law cases fall into one of these categories:
- Family law – Legal separation or divorce, child custody, and child support disputes
- Family law – Legal separation or divorce, child custody, and child support disputes
- Breach of contract – Disputes arising from a business or individual failing to meet obligations stated in a contract
- Property – Arguments involving property boundaries or ownership and damages caused to someone else’s property
- Class action – Harm to a group of people suffering from a common source, such as products that are determined to be harmful or defective
- Government – Claims that government policies or laws cause harm
What Does a Civil Law Attorney Do?
Civil law cases usually result in a settlement or a trial; civil law attorneys are sometimes referred to as litigators because they try cases in court. If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a civil law matter, your civil law attorney will help you during the entire dispute process.
Lots of paperwork is involved in civil lawsuits that must be formatted correctly and submitted to the court on time. Civil law attorneys are familiar with the forms and deadlines.
The attorney will investigate the facts surrounding the dispute that resulted in filing a civil law case by conducting client and witness interviews and discovery (asking oral or written questions of the other party in the dispute through their lawyer) and examining evidence. At times, your attorney may suggest hiring expert witnesses such as doctors.
In many cases, your civil law attorney will advise negotiating a settlement with the other party before the matter goes to trial. Settling a case results in less time spent on the case and lower attorney fees. If a settlement can't be reached, your attorney will represent you in a trial.
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How Can You Find the Right Civil Law Attorney?
When considering attorneys, you should ask specific questions:
- What are your fees and how are they calculated?
- What is your success rate in litigating civil cases?
- How long have you been a civil law attorney?
- Would you provide references from other clients?
Billy.com is a free online service that can help you find local civil law attorneys to choose from. You will be under no obligation, but using this resource can save you time and stress when searching for a civil law attorney. Contact Billy.com today.
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