Civil lawsuits are one of the most common filings an American court sees. In fact, American spend more money on these lawsuits than any other industrialized country in the world, according to a study conducted by the Economic Journal. So, what is a lawsuit? A lawsuit is essentially a complaint that one party files to the court. The filer, or plaintiff, is typically seeking damage relief and a fair ruling against a defendant, or a group of defendants who he or she feels has broken the law. Plaintiffs give factual and legal reasons for filing the complaint in hopes that the judge will rule in their favor. Once the civil lawsuit begins, the plaintiff enters into litigation, which takes the case through several different steps that include pleading, discovery, trial, and an appeal, if necessary.

Since civil (more…)