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Civil Court Records - What You Should Know About
Them
Civil court records are
from cases that are not criminal in nature. Civil cases encompass a broad range
of types and must undergo several stages before the trial commences.
Civil court records: What Kinds?
Civil court records are documents kept
from a case that has been tried in a civil court. A civil case is generally
defined as any case which is not a violation of criminal law. Civil cases still
run the gamut, but there are always civil court records that are kept after
these proceedings
There are several kinds
of civil court cases. General cases usually involve the settling of disputes
regarding contracts, personal injury and damages to property, which may or may
not have arisen from accidents. When it comes to family civil cases, these cover
disputes regarding divorce and annulment, and also settlements on child custody
and alimony. A juvenile court for civil cases also exists, where individuals
below the age of 18 are tried. Aside from juvenile delinquency, juvenile
dependency, where individuals under the age of 18 are abused or neglected, are
also tried in juvenile courts.
If there is a conflict
between landlords and tenants or any conflict related to property and real
estate, these are also tried in a specified civil court. Probate cases are also
considered civil cases, as they determine the legality of a final will and
testament, the legal guardians of children below 18, and the adoption
proceedings after the death of an individual. Small claims cases are for those
cases where the amount of money being contested or to be awarded is less than
five thousand dollars. In small claims cases, you will not be allowed to have a
lawyer, as everyone should be able to defend himself or herself.
Civil Court Records: Stages Of Filing A Case
When an incident
qualified for civil proceedings occurs to you, this is called the pre-filing
stage. This may be an intention for separation from your spouse, a car accident,
or the death of an individual. Once you fill out the appropriate forms to
commence legal action, you start with the filing stage. You are usually required
to allow the other party to receive the claim and opt for an out of court
settlement, which is called the discovery stage.
If there is no
settlement made, then you are usually given a pretrial period of about ninety
days. During this time, you are asked to call on witnesses, prepare all the
relevant documents and be ready for the actual trial period. Your trial could
drag on for months, even years, depending on the kind of civil case that was
filed, all of which will be recorded in civil court records.
Learn more about the
intricacies of civil court proceedings and how access to court records at the
Court Records section of
RecordsSiteReviews.
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