The broad families of civil cases
Most civil lawsuits fall into a handful of families. Contract cases involve broken agreements, unpaid invoices, and arguments over what a deal required. Tort cases cover harm caused by someone's conduct, including car accidents, falls, medical errors, defamation, and fraud. Property disputes involve ownership, boundaries, landlord and tenant relationships, and construction. Employment cases involve wages, discrimination, and retaliation, and many statutory claims, such as consumer protection or civil rights claims, sit on top of these. Family matters are civil in a broad sense, but they follow their own procedures, and in New York many are heard in Family Court while divorces are handled in Supreme Court. Unlike a criminal prosecution, a civil case is brought by a private party or an agency seeking money, a court order, or a declaration of rights.
Why the category matters early
The type of case affects which court hears it, how long you have to file, what you must prove, and what remedies are available. In New York, smaller money claims may belong in small claims or a lower civil court, while larger cases go to the Supreme Court, which despite its name is the main trial court. Federal court becomes possible when a federal law is involved, or when the parties are from different states and the amount at stake is large enough. Some contracts send disputes to arbitration instead of court. A single situation can involve more than one kind of claim, and choosing which to bring affects the cost and pace of the case.
You do not need the label before calling
Bring the documents that show what happened: contracts, invoices, emails and texts, photos, medical records, or letters from the other side. Note any deadline you have been given, including the response date on a summons, because those can be short. Once we see the papers, we identify what kind of case this is, whether there is more than one possible claim, and whether a lawsuit is the right tool at all, compared with a demand letter, a negotiation, or an agency complaint. If you have been sued, we start with how much time you have to respond.
