Civil Court Cases!
Everything you need to know in preparation for Civil Court
The Basics
To start off, they're two types of people in a Civil Case. There is the Plaintiff, or the person who is accusing another of a wrongdoing, and the Defendant, the one being accused.
The Steps
1. The Plaintiff hires a lawyer who will file a Complaint against a defendant.
2. A Summons is drawn up by the court ordering the defendant to come to court over the matter.
3. The defendant may get their own lawyer which leads to the Pleadings, where each side gathers evidence for their case. Pre-trial Discussions then take place to prepare the Judge for the trial.
4. If both parties agree, a Mediation, or a way of settling the case without trial, can be attempted. If this happens an arbitrator can be called in to help end the dispute.
5. The Judge then decides the verdict, or the decision. An appeal can take place if the defendant feels it necessary.
*In the event that the plaintiff wins the case, he/she will have to provide hard evidence to support their complaint. This is called Preponderance of Evidence.*