As you know there are civil cases and there are criminal cases. Respectfully, there is a civil attorney who handles totally different cases than a criminal attorney. It is important to note that there are huge differences between civil and criminal cases. A civil attorney is commonly known as a litigator. Clients hire a civil lawyer to pursue or defend a civil lawsuit in a court of law. So we can say, that when two or more parties become involved in a legal dispute seeking money or another specific performance rather than criminal sanctions, civil litigation is the result. Then they must head to the courtroom for trial. And after that, a judge or a jury will decide the matter.

Moving on, a civil attorney represents clients across a broad range of associated proceedings. Those include pretrial hearings and depositions, arbitration or mediation before administrative agencies or court personnel. And so civil litigation can be somehow defined as a legal process in which criminal charges and penalties are not an issue.

Furthermore, a civil lawsuit can arise in a couple of different areas of law. And usually, civil lawsuits concern the recovery of money or property. Moreover, a civil attorney generally can specialize in one or two specific practice areas. Some of the cases that a civil attorney handles are in the field of:

• Environmental law
• Landlord/tenant disputes
• Product liability lawsuits
• Personal injury claims
• Intellectual property disputes
• Construction liability lawsuits
• Medical malpractice claims
• Employment and labor disputes
• Real estate lawsuits
• Anti-trust litigation
• Workers’ compensation claims
• Education law disputes
• Divorce lawsuits

Let’s go over a couple of the practice areas of civil lawyers.

Civil rights

In civil rights cases, an individual believes that their basic human rights have not been respected. And if the issue concerns more than one individual it is called a class action lawsuit. For example, if a police took an unlawful search you may think that your rights were violated. Other examples of civil rights cases include discrimination in housing, employment or education. Also, when people feel like they were denied opportunities: to get a job, a residence, go to a school, because of certain characteristics, civil cases arise. And here, a civil attorney comes to rescue.

Business law

In the business law area, civil attorneys can not only defend you against a lawsuit brought by another company, but they can help you during the process of setting up your business. For example, an attorney can help you decide which form to put your business in: LLC, sole proprietorship, etc. And don’t forget that there is necessary legal paperwork that you may not be able to handle alone. So in this area, you may need a lawyer’s guidance.

Personal injury law

You probably already know that personal injury law is a huge legal field. It encompasses lots of differences types of harm. Generally, personal injury lawyers help you when you are hurt through the negligence, recklessness or carelessness of another party. There are common practice areas of personal injury. Those include slip and falls, car and truck accidents, mass transportation accidents, medical malpractice and dog bites. A civil attorney will support you to seek compensation for medical bills, time lost from work, loss of consortium, pain and suffering, and even punitive damages. And here is the tricky part: the punishment required for the wrongdoer is separate from that sought by criminal courts. Moreover, it is common for people to be prosecuted in both trials for the same offense: civil and criminal.

There are areas of civil law that do not include wrongdoing at all. Instead, they relate to people seeking legal advice in confusing and complex areas. For example, bankruptcy, tax law, family law, estate planning, immigration, etc. are areas that people may need guidance from a lawyer in figuring out how things work. The role of a civil attorney

The role of a civil attorney

A civil attorney is like Superman: has the responsibility and obligation of fighting for their client to get the best possible outcome on the client’s behalf. And their role is not that simple: at times it is quite challenging and diverse. Civil attorneys need to be willing to assume oppositional positions. They also need to embrace conflict and controversy. Moreover, they need to effectively act as superheroes in defense of their clients.

If you think you have been wronged financially or otherwise, if you think your civil rights have been violated, it is in your best interest to hire a civil attorney. He/she will help you assess the merits of your case. Furthermore, in case a person or a business sues you, the first move you need to make is to immediately consult with an attorney. Only then you can determine the best course of action. And if you are in either one of the situations rights now, then Margarian Law Firm’s experienced civil attorneys can be by your side.