Quite simply, civil litigation is a lawsuit filed by one party (the plaintiff) against one or more other parties (the defendants). There are rules of procedure that must be followed, discovery procedures, and trials in both district and circuit courts. Along the way, all civil cases involve some form of alternative dispute resolution through mediation or a court-ordered settlement conference.

The standard of proof in nearly all civil cases is preponderance of evidence – meaning more probable than not. Some cases have a clear and convincing standard of proof, but those are few and your attorney can explain to you which types of actions require that level of proof.