A legal case is a dispute between opposing parties resolved by a court, or by some equivalent legal process. A legal case may be either civil or criminal.

A civil case

A civil case, more commonly known as a lawsuit begins when a plaintiff files a document called a complaint with a court, informing the court of the wrong that the plaintiff has allegedly suffered because of the defendant, and requesting a remedy. The remedy sought may be money, an injunction, which requires the defendant to perform or refrain from performing some action, or a declaratory judgment, which determines that the plaintiff has certain legal rights.

The plaintiff must also make a genuine effort to inform the defendant of the case through service of process, by which the plaintiff delivers to the defendant the same documents that the plaintiff filed with the court.

At any point during the case, the parties can agree to a settlement, which will end the case.

A criminal case

A criminal case begins when a person suspected of a crime is indicted or charged with the offense by a government official called a prosecutor or district attorney.

Like a civil case, a criminal case may also be settled before a trial, if the accused confesses to the crime in exchange for a particular sentencing recommendation. Also like a civil case, a criminal case that is not settled may be abandoned by the prosecutor, or may go to trial.