Civil Attorneys

A civil attorney is often recognized as someone that focus on civil law only and negates criminal law. Criminal attorneys are also known as those that practice what is known as common law. Now, civil and common law are relating to the same thing in most peoples minds but its actually different. Common law derives from English law, and Civil law derives from Roman law. In the United Sates attorneys either practice criminal or civil law but have knowledge of both. Criminal attorneys practice law dealing with the family, business, personal injury, and others types of non criminal law.

Civil attorneys have many different options when thinking about an area of expertise. The majority of civil attorneys practice contract law. Contracts are binding agreements that two or more people enter in together for a specific purpose. These contracts require the use of a civil attorney because they are legally binding. Family law is another area in which civil attorneys are most widely used. This area of law often deals with divorce, domestic issues, and custody battles. Family law is so intense that many civil attorneys will specialize in that area of law specifically. The least popular form of civil law is tort law. A civil attorney that practices tort law is in high demand. This type of law deals with personal injury and the liability that comes with it. Tort law can be very complicated, which is why the least amount of civil attorneys practice it.

Before becoming a civil attorney, individuals must go through extensive training. The training they undergo is the same as any other attorney, which includes law school, and passing the state bar exam. A civil attorney must take the bar exam in the state that they desire to practice in. Many misconceptions associated with a civil attorney is that they are much like a criminal lawyer. The fact is that they are not functioning under the same system. The criminal justice system is different than the civil law system. A civil attorney cannot defend a criminal in court, or give legal advice. They also cannot file criminal lawsuits, instead they file civil lawsuits. A civil attorney can file a suit against corporations, file petitions, file personal injury claims and the like. They can also file a claim in a custody battle within a family. Civil rights law is an area of law that civil attorneys can play a significant role. During the civil rights movement a civil attorney became the key component in the fight for equal rights. Although activists led the fight, lawyers fought to end the discrimination in court. A civil attorney was used in many cases to help form legislation against the governments on a national and state basis. When choosing a career in civil law, a civil attorney has great options. In times of economic failure civil attorneys are in demand. When the economy falls there is a higher demand for attorneys that specialize in contracts and employment law. As long as families, business, malpractice, and people exist, a civil attorney will be needed.