Civil litigation

Civil litigation involves a legal dispute between two or more parties. A civil action begins when a party to a dispute files a complaint, and pays a filing fee required by statute. The party who files the complaint is called the “plaintiff.” The plaintiff “serves” a copy of the complaint on the defendant or defendants. The complaint describes the plaintiff’s damages or injury, explains how the defendant(s) caused the harm, shows that the court has jurisdiction, and asks the court to order relief. A plaintiff may seek money to compensate for the damages, or may ask the court to order the defendant to stop the conduct that is causing the harm. The court may also order other types of relief including a declaration of legal rights.

Effective advocacy begins even before filing a formal complaint. Information gathering, team building, and strategy selection are integral to the foundation of a winning case.