What type of legal cases are initiated by private parties seeking monetary damages?

Civil cases are legal disputes initiated by private parties, such as individuals or organizations, who seek monetary damages or specific performance as a remedy for grievances. In these cases, the plaintiff (the party bringing the lawsuit) asserts that the defendant (the party being sued) has wronged them in some way, typically involving issues like contracts, property disputes, or personal injuries.

The primary objective in civil cases is to resolve conflicts between private entities and provide compensation or restitution to the harmed party, rather than to impose penalties or punish a wrongdoing, which is typically the focus of criminal cases. The defining characteristic of civil law is that it revolves around the pursuit of legal remedies for individuals rather than criminal sanctions imposed by the government.

This is distinct from criminal cases, where the state prosecutes individuals for actions deemed harmful to society; administrative cases, which deal with disputes involving governmental agencies and regulations; and federal cases, which are heard in federal courts and pertain to federal law, often involving multiple states or broader issues. Therefore, seeking monetary damages falls squarely within the realm of civil cases.