civil case

A civil case is a private, non- criminal lawsuit , usually involving private property rights, including respecting rights stated under the Constitution or under federal or state law. For example, lawsuits involving breach of contract , probate , divorce , negligence , and copyright violations are just a few of the many hundreds of varieties of civil lawsuits.

A civil case starts when a person or entity (the plaintiff ) claims that another person or entity (the defendant ) has failed to perform a legal responsibility owed to the plaintiff. Both the plaintiff and the defendant are also called as "parties" or " litigants ." The plaintiff may ask the court to tell the defendant to fulfill the obligation, or make compensation for the harm, or both.

[Last updated in February of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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