Learn about the different types of cases heard at family court, and how they are different from cases heard in general civil or criminal court.
Criminal Cases
Criminal cases involve enforcing public codes of behavior, which are codified in the laws of the state. In criminal cases, the government prosecutes individuals for violating those laws (in other words, for allegedly committing a crime). Punishment in criminal cases can include fines, community service, probation, or prison.
CAUTION!
The Family Law Self-Help Center does not provide information or forms for criminal cases. You should not use the information on this website if you are involved in a criminal matter. To learn more about criminal matters, visit your local law library. Visit our Law Library page to learn more.
Civil Cases
Civil cases involve conflicts between people or institutions such as businesses, typically over money. Civil cases include lawsuits for money, landlord/tenant matters, breach of contract claims, and cases where one person is trying to make someone else do something (for example, sell some property) or stop doing something (for example, stop a foreclosure).
If you need information or forms for a general civil case, you can contact the Civil Law Self-Help Center onlineor by visiting the center in person on the first floor of the Regional Justice Center.
Family Cases
Family cases are a type of civil case, but they generally involve issues between or concerning spouses, parents, and children.Family courts handle a wide variety of cases involving domestic matters. The most common issues handled at family court include:
Marriage Dissolution. When someone wants to end a marriage, they can file a case at family court to ask for a court order ending the marriage. Marriages can be terminated through divorce or annulment cases. The court can also grant a separate maintenance, where the court issues orders regarding property, alimony, and child custody, but the parties remain legally married. You can find more information on the Divorce, Annulment, or Separate Maintenancesections of this site.
Paternity and Child Custody. When a man needs to be declared the father of a child, either parent can file a case asking the family court to determine paternity. This permanently establishes the father of the child. Unmarried parents can also ask the court to order legal custody, physical custody, visitation schedules, and child support. You can find more information about these types of cases on the section of this website.
Protection Orders Against Domestic Violence. Victims of domestic violence can ask the family court to issue protection orders to keep their abuser away. Please visit the DV Protection Ordersfor more information.
Name Changes. A child or an adult may be able to legally change their name through a name change case at family court. Please visit the Name Changesection for more information.
Guardianship. Guardianship involves determining who will be responsible for the medical, personal, and financial decisions over a child or an adult who cannot care for themself. More information can be found on the Guardianshipsection of this website.
Termination of Parental Rights and Adoptions. If there are serious reasons why a parent should no longer have a parental relationship with a child (such as abandonment, neglect, abuse, etc.), the family court may terminate that parent’s rights. If someone else wants to become a child’s legal parent, the family court can grant an adoption where the parent-child relationship is legally created. More information is located on the Adoptions and Terminating Parental Rights section of this website.
Juvenile Matters. Family court oversees all matters where there are allegations of child abuse, child neglect, or where minors are accused of participating in illegal behavior. These matters are largely handled by the District Attorney Juvenile Division. The family court can also approve work permits for minors under the age of 14. Visit Juvenile Work Permitsfor more information about this.
Emancipation and Approval of Underage Marriages. Those under the age of 18 who wish to marry or want to be “emancipated” (meaning, being legally free from the control of their parents) can petition the family court for approval. The Self-Help Center does not have forms for approval of underage marriages, but does have information about emancipation inthe Emancipationsection of this website.
FAQs
Both civil and court cases include a plaintiff and defendant. The three most common civil cases are tort claims, contract breaches and landlord/tenant issues.
What are the three most common types of civil cases? ›
Both civil and court cases include a plaintiff and defendant. The three most common civil cases are tort claims, contract breaches and landlord/tenant issues.
Which of these is an example of a civil case? ›
The case could be about a contract dispute, damage to property, injury to a person, credit card or other debt, work-related disputes, and more. This guide will give you the general steps that apply to these types of civil cases.
What is a familial case? ›
Includes child protection, adoption, guardianship, parentage, parental support, enforcement, estate matters (within the context of a family matter) and other family issues as well as contested divorce and separation cases not involving child-related issues and cases where issues have not yet been recorded.
What is CA self-help? ›
Self-Help Services provides free assistance to individuals without an attorney with the case types listed below. We do not provide legal advice or legal representation. Our services include legal procedural information, legal forms, review of completed forms, and referrals.
What types of cases are typically decided in civil cases? ›
General civil cases, usually involving suing someone for money in disputes over things like contracts, damage to property, or someone getting hurt. Family law cases such as divorce, child support, child custody, and adoptions.
What are the 8 types of cases heard in federal courts? ›
Federal courts generally have exclusive jurisdiction in cases involving (1) the Constitution, (2) violations of federal laws, (3) controversies between states, (4) disputes between parties from different states, (5) suits by or against the federal government, (6) foreign governments and treaties, (7) admiralty and ...
What are the two most common civil law cases? ›
These are some of the most common types of cases to appear in civil court.
- Contract Disputes. Contract disputes occur when one or more parties who signed a contract cannot or will not fulfill their obligations. ...
- Property Disputes. ...
- Torts. ...
- Class Action Cases. ...
- Complaints Against the City.
Personal injury lawsuits such as those stemming from car accidents, medical malpractice, or slip and fall incidents are a one type of civil suit. Other common civil lawsuits include breach of contract, product liability, divorce and family law, property disputes, and housing disputes.
What is the burden of proof in a civil case? ›
In a civil lawsuit, the burden of proof rests on the plaintiff or the person filing the suit. The plaintiff should prove that the allegations are true and that the defendant, or the other party, caused damages. When it comes to establishing a civil case, the plaintiff must usually do so by a preponderance of evidence.
A particular disorder might be described as “running in a family” if more than one person in the family has the condition. Some disorders that affect multiple family members are caused by gene variants (also known as mutations), which can be inherited (passed down from parent to child).
What is heredo familial? ›
heredo-familial in British English
(həˌrɛdəʊfəˈmɪlɪəl ) adjective. denoting a condition or disease that may be passed from generation to generation and to several members of one family.
What is sporadic and familial? ›
The sporadic form of the disease can affect anyone and is dependent on genetic changes aquired during the lifetime of the affected individual. The familial form of the disease results when affected individuals inherit a defective copy of the Rb gene from one of their parents.
What does self-help mean in court? ›
In legal contexts, the term “self-help” refers to a form of redress outside the regular legal process, under which one takes matters into one's own hands and uses lawful means in an attempt to protect or restore a legal right; attempting to protect one's interests without a court order, and of one's own initiative by ...
What is an example of a self-help program? ›
Self-help programs include Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Self Management and Recovery Training (SMART). NA and AA are 12-step abstinence-based groups that meet regularly to help members give up alcohol and other drugs and remain abstinent.
What is the difference between self service and self-help? ›
And also recognizing that while self-service is primarily focused on request management, self-help is a more evolved capability that requires a sophisticated use of knowledge management techniques that enables employees to solve their own issues.
What is the most common type of case in civil law? ›
One common one is property line disputes, in which one party alleges that a neighbor crossed the property line boundary between their two homes for building or planting. A tort is a civil case in which one party alleges that another caused them physical or emotional harm.
What are the two most common types of civil law cases? ›
Very broadly, civil cases may involve such things as, for example,
- Torts: A "tort" is a harmful action that results in injury to someone's person, property, or reputation. ...
- Breach of contract: A breach of contract case happens when a party fails to perform some term of a contract without a good excuse.
Two areas of civil law that are considered main areas include public and private law. Public law is the law and relations between the public and the people. Private law concerns the actions between individuals which can result in lawsuits.
