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WHAT IS CIVIL LITIGATION ?

Any disputes sued in Court that do not involve a criminal prosecution are described as civil litigation.

Murder, drug trafficking and kidnapping are examples of cases which involve criminal prosecution.

In criminal case, legal action is taken by either the state, federal or local government against an individual or organization for the violation.

A person who is found guilty of a crime can be put on probation, sent to prison, or be ordered to pay a fine or involves capital punishment or death penalty. Those are the punishments to the criminals found guilty of an offense to prevent such persons and others from acting in the same illegal manner in the future.

Debt collection, damages for personal injuries and defamation action are examples of civil cases where the result is award of money judgment to be paid by one party to the other.

The parties in a civil lawsuit are the plaintiff and defendant.

A plaintiff who starts the lawsuit will file a written complaint or petition with the Court.

Then, there is the other party called the defendant. The defendant responds and the case proceeds through trial procedures and ultimately is resolved by a trial or motion.

A civil litigation involves legal action between two private parties usually seeking for monetary compensation or damages by the plaintiff who has suffered loss by reason of the wrongful or tortuous conduct of the defendant.

A judgment is imposed to make the aggrieved person whole for the harm that has been caused by the other.

In any civil case, a criminal sentence cannot be imposed in the judgment.