Lindsey's Lovely Law Firm
Everything You Need to Know About Civil Court Cases
Civil Court Vocabulary
First, you need to know...
- The defendant is the party being sued by the plaintiff
- The document outlining the details of the lawsuit is called the complaint
- The complaint and answer to the complaint, when put together, are called the pleadings
After you understand those basic terms, try these...
- Before the actual case, the judge can call a pretrial conference. This helps each side clarify their arguments before they are discussed in the trial.
- Another way both side's differences are addressed is through the mediator.
- Preponderance of evidence means that the applicability of certain evidences is taken into account over how much evidence is present.
During the actual trial, it would help to know these words...
- During the trial, arbitrators act like judges by helping solve the arguments.
- Eventually, a verdict will be reached. This is a final decision on the case.
- If one side feels that they were treated wrongly during the trial, they have the opportunity to appeal before a court of appeals.