Plaintiff facts for kids

A plaintiff is a person or group who starts a lawsuit in a court of law. They are the ones who believe they have been wronged and are seeking a solution or justice from the court.

What is a Plaintiff?

A plaintiff is like the person who says, "I have a problem, and I need the court to help me fix it." They are the ones who bring a case forward. They usually want something from the court, like money to cover damages, or for someone to stop doing something wrong.

Starting a Lawsuit

To start a lawsuit, a plaintiff usually has to fill out special papers. These papers might be called a summons, a claim form, or a complaint. These documents explain what happened and what the plaintiff wants the court to do. They also name the person or group being sued, who is called the defendant.

Who Else is Involved?

In a lawsuit, there are usually two main sides:

• The plaintiff: The one who starts the case.
• The defendant: The one being sued.

There will also be a judge who makes decisions, and sometimes a jury who listens to the facts and decides what happened.

Civil vs. Criminal Cases

Lawsuits can be divided into two main types: civil cases and criminal cases.

Civil Cases

In a civil case, one private person or group sues another private person or group. For example, if someone damages your property, you might be the plaintiff in a civil case asking them to pay for repairs. The goal is usually to solve a disagreement or to get compensation for harm.

The Role of the Complainant

In some cases, especially those involving serious wrongdoing that affects society, the government might be the one bringing the case. These are often called criminal cases. In these situations, the person who reports the wrongdoing or is affected by it might be called a complainant instead of a plaintiff. The government, representing "the people," then acts as the main party bringing the case against the person accused of the wrongdoing.