Civil litigation is a term used to describe the legal process applied to resolve non-criminal disputes. The process typically commences when a party (an individual, business entity or government entity) files a lawsuit seeking a court order against another party for compensation of damages, for specific performance of a contract, or for another remedy allowed by the law. Civil litigation is thus the filing and subsequent process of attempting to resolve a civil lawsuit; civil litigation is incorporated into a non-criminal dispute to help produce a resolution. Civil litigation will aim to resolve such disputes as family law disputes, contract disputes, property disputes, and personal injury claims.
Lawyers or legal professionals who specialize in civil litigation are known as “litigators.” We are legal professionals who practice civil litigation by representing a party in a trial, a hearing, or a form of alternative resolution method, such as arbitrations or mediations. These forms of hearings are heard by administrative agencies, foreign tribunals and federal, state, or local court systems.
The ways to civil litigation are many, but there are some types that are common:
Breach of contract
Lawsuits filed because at least one party to a contract believes the other violated the terms of agreement.
Divorce/Family law
Civil suits requesting the legal dissolution of a marriage contract; often includes child custody, property settlements, and other agreements per the family court rulings.
Employment/labor disputes
Any disputes an employee may have with an employer requiring a legal solution
Intellectual property disputes
Copyright infringement or any disputes related to intellectual property will be handled in a civil suit
Landlord/tenant disputes
Evictions, lease agreements, violations of agreements
Property disputes
When claims are made against property lines, fast action is needed – especially if the matter involves a fruit-bearing tree over a fence
Real estate disputes
Disputes that arise between among buyers, sellers and developers of building/flat/apartment, commercial spaces.
Workers’ compensation claims
Disputes between employees and employers that arise when someone has been injured on the job.