Civil litigation is a term used to describe the legal process applied to non-criminal matters. Civil litigation is thus the filing and subsequent application of a civil lawsuit; civil litigation is incorporated into a non-criminal dispute to help produce a resolution. Civil litigation will aim to resolve such disputes as, family law disputes, court custody cases, matters involving child support payments, disputes between individuals and credit card companies, disputes involving landlord and tenants, as well as situations that involve a breach of contract.
Civil litigation is the process of resolving a legal dispute between two or more parties (individuals or business entities) who seek compensation (in the form of money) for damages incurred or specific performances that were not delivered. Lawyers or legal professionals who specialize in civil litigation are known as ‘litigators’; legal professionals who practice civil litigation will represent a party in a trial, a hearing, or a form of alternative resolution method, such as arbitrations or mediations—these forms of hearings are heard by administrative agencies, foreign tribunals and federal, state, or local court systems. A litigation attorney, also referred to as a trial lawyer or litigator, represents either defendants or plaintiffs who are involved in civil disputes. These litigators will typically specialize in a particular area, such as divorce law or medical malpractice suits. This allows them to have a more detailed knowledge of their practice area. Civil litigation law is incredibly broad, so it’s helpful to keep a focus on just a few areas rather than attempting to represent them all.
A civil litigator's daily duties might include interviewing clients, drafting formal complaints or claims, conducting depositions, and drafting motions. Civil litigators must determine the best trial strategy for each case. This might include mediation and negotiation to attempt to settle the case out of court. Trial lawyers may also need to take their cases to court. In these cases, their responsibilities could include investigation, trials, settlements, appeals, jury selection, court appearances and more.