Lawsuit

A lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court in which the party commencing the action, the plaintiff, seeks a legal remedy. If the plaintiff is successful, judgment will be given in the plaintiff's favour, and a range of court orders may be issued to enforce a right, impose a penalty, award damages, impose an injunction to prevent an act or compel an act, or to obtain a declaratory judgment to prevent future legal disputes.

History of the term "lawsuit"

Today, lawyers in common law jurisdictions, particularly in the US, use the terms "lawsuit" and "civil action" synonymously, but this was not always the case. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was common for lawyers to speak of bringing an action at law and a suit in equity. The unification of law and equity during the early 20th century led to the collapse of that distinction, so it became possible to speak of a "lawsuit."

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In England and Wales the term "claim" is far more common, the person initiating proceedings being the Claimant.

Related Topics:
England and Wales - Claimant

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In medieval times, both "action" and "suit" had the approximate meaning of some kind of legal proceeding, but an action terminated when a judgment was rendered, while a suit also included the execution of the judgment.

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