Civil litigation is a legal process where two or more parties resolve a non-criminal dispute in court. It usually involves one party (the plaintiff) suing another party (the defendant) to enforce or defend a legal right. These cases typically involve private disputes over things like:
- Contracts
- Property
- Personal injury (i.e., car accidents)
- Landlord-tenant disputes
Key Stages in civil litigation:
- The pleading stage
- The plaintiff files a complaint outlining their claims
- The defendant responds with a responsive pleading which can include the filing of an answer, a motion to dismiss or assert counterclaims against the plaintiff
- Discovery
- All parties involved in the lawsuit gather and produce evidence through depositions, document requests, interrogatories and more
- Pre-trial
- Motions may be filed such as motions for summary judgment
- Settlement negotiations offer occur at this stage
- Trial
- If the case isn’t settled, it goes to trial where a judge or a jury decides the outcome
- Post-trial
- Either party can appeal the decision, or a judgment is enforced (e.g., collecting money awarded)
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