The Difference Between A Civil Law From That Of A Criminal Law

Civil Law

Civil law deals with the enforcement of an oral or written contract. This would only mean that a certain entity is often involved in other cases except the commission of a crime. A wrongful act wherein the other party asks for damages is also under the civil law. When we mean civil law, it does not involve any crime. Civil cases often require more work for the lawyer or attorney because they need to gather evidences from different sources.

Most of the time, civil cases involve disputes between a person or an organization. A person or an entity who claims on their legal compensation or benefit is often called a plaintiff. On the other hand, the person or organization that the plaintiff requires the damages is often called the defendant, litigants or parties. Usually, the plaintiff often requires the defendant under the rules of law to provide him the respect and legal obligations deemed to them. A defendant is often required to give the plaintiff what is due to them.

There are several types of civil law cases, and they include commercial operations, divorce and custody, personal injury and estate planning, bankruptcy, taxes, employment, corporations, workers’ compensation, and contracts. Under the rule of civil law, penalties are often given in a form of order, custody, legal rights, liable for damages, and monetary award to the aggrieved party. It is extremely seldom that the defendants are subject to imprisonment, but in some rare cases, there are imprisonments involved.

Criminal Law

Criminal law involves crime against people. It includes rape, robbery, murder, assault and kidnapping. In other way, it also includes tax evasion, burglary, larceny, smuggling, shoplifting and other forms of theft. Criminal laws also cover those who use and sell drugs, drunk drivers and other crimes against the law. The penalties given to perpetrators are often in the form of a fine and jail. Most of the cases under the criminal law are often dealt with an order to avoid further harm to society.

Under the criminal law, the person who is often accused of a certain crime is often charged with formal accusations for misdemeanor. The person accused is liable at large to the entire state or society and not to the victim alone. In this case, criminal defense attorneys just like a Utah Defense Attorney need to help their clients on their legal proceedings. After the trial and the court already made their decision that the other party is legally proven to commit the crime, then a sentence is clearly given. The sentence given can be in a form of supervision in the community, monetary penalty, imprisonment, or in some cases a combination of those penalties.