What is So Civil About Civil Actions?
A “civil” suit is not necessarily a “polite” suit, any more than “civil war” is non violent. The DK Oxford Illustrated Dictionary defines “civil law” as the law pertaining to “personal rights” as opposed, for example, to “criminal law”, which is brought on behalf of the public, or “the state” by a public prosecutor, or “constitutional rights” as defined by our state or U.S. Constitution. Civil claims or suits include family court matters, but I refer to “civil suits” when I talk about contract disputes between persons or businesses, boundary line and right of way disputes, suits over wills and estates, and suits over alleged libel or slander. Of course, “civil claims” also include claims for personal injury and professional malpractice, which I cover under “contingent fees”. Civil suits as I define them are usually handled on an hourly basis with an “up front” cash retainer.
