What is a civil lawyer?

Solicitors firms in the UK tend to focus either on civil law or on criminal law. This is a reflection of the way the legal system is divided in the UK. Civil law relates to disputes between individuals (or individual legal entities, e.g. companies or local authorities). Therefore a civil lawyer specialises in cases where the actions of an individual are alleged to have infringed their duties towards, or the rights of other individuals and a dispute arises over guilt or liability.

In any civil law case, the claimant is the individual (or entity) that claims to have been wronged or injured. Claimants who are successful in the court case or tribunal are usually awarded some form of compensation or protection from the defendant.

Civil law cases in England and Wales are mostly heard in the county court and High Court. A civil lawyer will often be called in to represent people or companies who believe that they are owed money, and litigation can form a large proportion of many civil lawyers’ caseloads. County courts also deal with breach of contract cases and family law (divorce, child protection, adoption). In fact, with the help of civil lawyers and/or mediators, many cases are settled before they reach court.

Some legal firms, often depending on their size, have specialist solicitors in both fields and are able to advise and represent clients in aspects of either civil or criminal law. Often the boundary between the two is not always clearly defined, for example in cases of negligence. If your legal enquiry relates to civil law, using the services of Contact Law to find the right solicitor for your circumstances will save you a great deal of time researching individual firms yourself.

If you would like to obtain advice on a particular aspect of civil law, Contact Law can put you in touch with a specialist civil lawyer free of charge. So, if you have any questions or would like our help in finding local civil lawyers please call us on 0800 1777 162 or complete the web-form above.