Tag Archives: types of civil law

3 Examples of Civil Law

There are many branches of law, the two main categories being criminal and civil. Most people are familiar with what criminal law is, but more are confused about what exactly civil law is. In order to learn more about this branch of law, one must understand that it deals with legal proceedings between members of a community when the proceedings do not relate to criminal activity or military matters. Some examples include personal injury, copyright infringement and property damage. 

Personal Injury

When looking for a lawyer, people may wonder if they are dealing with criminal or civil law Hackensack NJ. Personal injury often falls into the civil law category as long as the injury was not caused with malicious intent. For example, if someone is injured in a car wreck due to the negligence of another driver, the case would be classified as one falling under civil law. 

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Copyright Infringement

In the modern world of the internet, there is more intellectual property being infringed upon than ever before. Copyright infringement is an example of civil law, but it can still carry hefty penalties. 

Property Damage

If your neighbor cuts down a tree that falls on your house and damages the roof, you could be considering a property damage lawsuit. In this situation, you would be dealing with a civil suit. There was no criminal behavior, but nonetheless, damage did occur. If the cases cannot be resolved outside of court, they are tried before a judge for a settlement.

There are so many branches of law that it can become cumbersome to name them all, and many branches have subspecialties within them. However, the two main categories, criminal and civil, are distinguished by whether or not malicious criminal behavior occurred. If you are interested in learning more about civil law, contact an attorney today to set up a consultation.