How does civil law differ from common law?

Civil law differs from common law in a number of ways. In the United States, civil law is represented primarily by state and federal statutes, while common law refers to a court-made law. The primary distinction between the two is that common law focuses on developing and adapting laws based on past court decisions, while civil law relies heavily on written statutes. In Florida, civil law applies to all matters relating to contracts, property law, and torts. This means all these matters are governed by statutes, rather than by the decisions of judges. In contrast, common law is more flexible and based on the decisions of judges. This means if a matter is heard in court, the court can come up with a decision that is not based solely on existing laws or precedents. While common law is focused on the principles and rules of past court decisions, civil law is based more on codified statutes enacted by the legislature. Common law is based more on judicial precedent and interpretation of existing statutes, whereas civil law focuses on broad, general principles of written law. This means civil law is less flexible than common law, as it must be based on existing laws and statutes. In other words, common law is traditionally based on precedent and is more flexible, while civil law is based on statutes and provides less flexibility. In Florida, civil law applies to all civil matters, while common law is more relevant to criminal matters. It is important to understand the key differences between civil and common law in order to understand how laws are interpreted and applied in the state.

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