The Differences Between Case, Civil, Criminal and Trial 

By James Kahn

There are many different arenas within the industry of law that legal professionals specialize in. This article will explain a few common types and how they might be important to you.

Case law comes about when a particular law is defined by tradition not so much as what is written. Case law is utilized in almost all courts in the US; it is used in defense and prosecution. A case law can be summarized as the way the law is traditionally used. This type of law does not appear on any legal forms, was not specifically voted on and was not filed using the proper avenues. Yet, it is respected as law and decisions that are made on case law arguments are many times upheld. Some laws that are on the books are antiquated and no longer apply to the general population, but they can still be violated. So, case law or the history of how a case was tried previously, is what is used as the protocol.

Trial law is the letter of the law; it is the laws that effect the way a case is to be tried. It dictates which forms will be filed and dictates proper procedure. An important part of the process, is the behind the scenes action where attorneys discuss proper protocol and dictate how information will be shared. This practice keeps everyone honest. Legal forms and other evidence is shared between the prosecutor and the defense attorney. There is an open sharing policy called fair disclosure involved in the trial process.

Civil law pertains to all cases that can not be tried criminally because there are certain protections in place preventing criminal charges. The damages in civil court do not involve jail as punishment but instead doles out monetary fines as punishment. There are millions of cases litigated around the United States, some rather frivolous, in civil court rooms. These cases usually begin with a filing of a simple legal form, naming the parties in the case. The plaintiff is the party that institutes the case and the defendant is the party that the relief is being sought from. Civil cases can take many years to come to completion. There are many legal forms filed by both parties.

Criminal law covers all the laws that are in place to protect citizens and to keep people safe. Warrants are a type of legal form that is often used in criminal cases to gather information and to arrest people.

James is an expert in writing about legal forms and documents that may help you when your in the search of the right legal document. He writes many articles about forms ranging from, power of attorney forms, landlord tenant forms, and most any legal form that your searching for.