Civil Cases

Lawsuits A person or group brings legal action to collect damages for some harm that has been done Less than $1,000 are handled in small-claims court Larger claims can include a jury and lawyers There are several kinds of lawsuits Property disputes Breach of Contract Family Issues- Divorce

Lawsuits contd. Personal Injury There are many lawyers that work in this type of lawsuit Negligence suits involve injury or property destruction because of carelessness Most auto accidence are negligence cases

Suits of Equity Seek fair treatment in a situation where there is no law to settle the matter A group of people can try to prevent damages from taking place i.e. building a highway through a park Judges usually decide An injunction is used to stop an action from taking place

Court Procedure in Civil Cases A person files a lawsuit to receive compensation Person filing is the plaintiff Person or group filing against is the defendant The plaintiff hires an attorney who prepares a complaint Formal document that declares the lawsuit Names the plaintiff, defendant and problem that occurred

Procedures contd. A summons is issued by the court Announces that the defendant is being sued Sets a date for the trial Defendant’s attorney receives a copy of the complaint after which they can accept or deny the claim Attorneys from both sides exchange pleadings Narrow down the issues and legal points At this point the plaintiff can drop parts of the suit

Procedures contd. The suit then goes to trial Both sides present their arguments Both sides then await a verdict by the judge or jury