Legal Topics > Small Claims Court & Lawsuits >

Nolo's Plain-English Law Dictionary

Legal Dictionary Home

Need Professional Help? Talk to a Lawyer
Enter Your Zip Code to Connect with a Lawyer Serving Your Area
searchbox small
Civil Law
(1) A generic term for all non-criminal law, usually relating to settling disputes between private citizens. (2) A body of laws and legal concepts derived from Roman law as opposed to English common law, which is the framework of most state legal systems. In the United States only Louisiana, relying on the French Napoleonic Code, has a legal structure based on civil law.


Need Legal Help?
Get Informed Check out our thousands of free articles on everyday legal topics--they're accurate, up to date, and written in plain English.
Do It Yourself With Nolo's easy-to-use books, legal forms, online services, and software, you can handle many routine legal tasks yourself.
Talk to a Lawyer Just enter your zip code to connect with a lawyer serving your area.
LA-WS5:0.9.22.120522.13848+