What Is Civil Law and How Do Civil Attorneys Help?

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What Is Civil Attorney?

When most people think of the word "civil," they often think of "polite," but when it comes to civil law or civil law attorneys or civil lawyers, this is not the application of the word. Civil attorneys in OKC usually tackle and resolve the legal issues faced by society's people. These issues usually occur between individuals in a social or company environment daily.

Thus, it is sometimes said that civil lawyers resolve "personal wrongs" between two or more law-abiding people in general. Civil law disputes are generally related to these interpersonal conflicts, or to business conflicts. In essence, the legal system is split into two branches, civil and criminal law. Civil law is distinct from criminal law because it includes behavior that somehow violates criminal legislation or regulations.

Civil Law and Criminal Law Difference

Civil law is a separate area of criminal law. Typically, civil law deals with individual and/or organizational conflicts. In other words, they are private-party disputes. On the other side, criminal law deals with offenses.

These are behaviors that break the laws that society has developed for its members’ security and well-being. Criminal law usually imposes heavier sentences on the guilty, with penalties ranging from service to death.

Civil law can also lead to heavy penalties or other implications, but in contrast, the sentences can often be much lighter. As such, criminal law often provides the defendant with extra protections. Moreover, in criminal law instances, the burden of evidence of guilt is greater than in civil proceedings.

Types of Performance

Civil attorneys in OKC can conduct a variety of duties and legal actions. Of course, these will rely on the type of infringement or civil complaint concerned. In general, most civil law lawyers will be familiar with a broad spectrum of duties, including:

  • Meeting with potential clients to learn what their legal issue is;

  • Advising a potential client on their legal options prior to a lawsuit;

  • Obtaining documents and other items that might be used as evidence during a civil lawsuit (this process is known as “discovery”);

  • Performing legal research before trial;

  • Filing various pre-trial motions, and filing court documents for a lawsuit;

  • Reviewing and submitting evidence to the court while preparing for a lawsuit;

  • Conduction of opening and closing arguments during trial;

  • Examination of witnesses in a trial and objection raising

  • Presenting legal arguments during trial;

  • Filing motions during the trial;

  • Arguing for various legal remedies, such as damages awards;

  • Handling post-trial matters, including appeals; and

  • Various other legal tasks.

Contact Foshee and Yaffee for civil attorneys in OKC.

**Disclaimer: This content is not to be construed as legal advice nor does it establish terms of a client-attorney relationship.