Criminal law and civil laws are two separate spheres of the legal system. Criminal law is concerned with crimes against the state while civil law focuses on disputes between individuals and entities. Civil lawyers are crucial in helping clients navigate this complex legal system. They represent them in many cases that involve personal and financial issues. This guide provides an overview of common legal issues that civil lawyers deal with.
Table of Contents
Understanding Civil Law:
Civil law is a wide spectrum of legal issues that involves disputes between private parties. This includes individuals, businesses and organizations. These disputes are often a result of disagreements about:
- Rights and obligations: These can include contractual agreements, property ownership rights, intellectual property rights, as well as other rights and obligations that are legally defined.
- Breach of contract: If one party does not fulfill its obligations under a contractual agreement, a civil suit may be filed in order to enforce the contract terms or seek compensation.
- Torts are civil wrongs that harm another person or property, such as negligence or personal injury.
- Financial disputes: These include disputes involving investment products, bankruptcy, debt collection and other financial disputes.
The most common types of civil cases handled by lawyers:
1. Contract Disputes:
- Breach of contract. When a party does not fulfill its contractual obligations, an attorney can represent that party to seek compensation for the damages suffered or enforce the terms of the agreement.
- Civil lawyers are able to assist in the formation of contracts and their interpretation. They can also help with contract review and drafting, ensuring that they are clear and enforceable. They will represent clients if there is a dispute arising out of ambiguous language or disagreements about interpretation.
2. Property Law
- Real estate disputes include issues relating to property ownership, boundary disputes, easements, disputes between landlords and tenants, as well as real estate transactions that have gone wrong.
- Foreclosure Defense: A civil lawyer can assist in navigating the legal process to avoid property loss.
3. Torts:
- Personal injury: A civil lawyer can help you seek compensation for medical costs, lost wages and pain and discomfort if you have been injured by someone else.
- Wrongful Death: If a loved one dies due to negligence of another party, a civil attorney can help the surviving family members navigate the legal system and seek compensation for their loss.
- Product liability: A civil lawyer can assist you in filing a lawsuit if you have been injured by a defective item.
4. Family Law:
- Divorce: Civil attorneys can assist clients with the legal aspects of divorce including child custody and property division.
- Child custody and child support: Civil attorneys can help obtain or modify child custody and child support orders. They will ensure that the child’s rights and needs are met, and their parents are protected.
Business Law:
- Civil lawyers are able to guide entrepreneurs in the formation of a business entity. They can also draft essential legal documents and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
- Civil lawyers can help resolve contract disputes between businesses. They can negotiate, mediate or litigate to settle the dispute.
- Employment law: Employers and employees can seek legal advice from civil lawyers on issues such as wrongful termination, employment contract breach, or discrimination.
Additional Practice Areas:
- Intellectual property law is concerned with protecting and enforcing rights of intellectual property, including copyrights and trademarks.
- Civil lawyers are able to assist in estate planning by creating wills, trusts and other estate planning documents and representing them in probate court proceedings.
- Civil lawyers can assist consumers who have been harmed by companies in areas such as fraudulent advertising, deceptive practice, or defective goods.
How to choose a civil lawyer:
What type of civil lawyer is right for you depends on your case. Consider factors such as:
- Experience: Find a lawyer who has handled cases similar to yours.
- Check the reputation of the attorney and their track record of success.
- Communication style: Select an attorney with whom you are comfortable and who can explain complex legal concepts clearly.
- Fees: Talk to the lawyer about their fee structure. Make sure it is in line with your budget.
Civil law is a broad field of law that encompasses many different legal issues. Civil lawyers are vital in protecting the rights of individuals and businesses, resolving conflicts, and obtaining fair compensation for damages. Understanding the different types of civil cases can give you valuable insight into the system, and help you make an informed decision when looking for legal representation.
This article was written by a Bonardi & Uzdavinis professional. Bonardi & Uzdavinis LLP is a boutique full-service law firm that provides its clients with a variety of legal representation. Our main areas of practice are real estate, probate and personal injury. We also offer civil litigator tampa, commercial litigation, and construction. Contact us for a free case evaluation if you need a personal injury or real estate attorney in Tampa Bay.