There are two basic types of legal cases which may come before the court. One is a criminal case, where the question is whether the defendant should receive a criminal conviction and the attendant penalties. The other type of case is civil litigation. Civil litigation lawyer and criminal defense attorney Jerry F. Lee Attorney at Law in Cleveland, GA, explains the purpose and process of a civil suit.

The defendant in a civil suit is not charged with a crime as part of the proceedings, though the suit may be related to criminal charges. Instead, the question before the court is whether the defendant should legally be required to pay reparations to the plaintiff or take some other action to resolve a situation. One of the simplest examples is a personal injury case, where the plaintiff has been injured and argues that the defendant should pay the medical costs.

Other areas of law which involve civil disputes include intellectual property, real estate, employment and labor, divorce, education, and disagreements between a landlord and tenant. In all the areas, the central question is the same: what are the defendant's legal responsibilities toward the plaintiff, and were they violated?

A civil case begins with a claim made by the plaintiff or their civil litigation lawyer. The case then progresses through a discovery phase, in which information is gathered and exchanged. At any point during this process, the parties can agree to settle out of court; most civil suits are resolved this way. If the parties fail to settle or can only agree on some of the issues, the case will go to trial.

Whether you have a claim to pursue or you've had a case filed against you, a good civil litigation lawyer is your best asset. Call Jerry F. Lee Attorney at Law in Cleveland at (706) 219-2460, or learn more about his services online.