What are the elements of a civil lawsuit?

A civil lawsuit is a legal dispute between two or more parties in which one party is suing the other for damages or relief. In Florida there are five elements that must be present in a civil lawsuit: 1) Capacity; 2) Proper Parties; 3) Subject Matter Jurisdiction; 4) A Valid Cause of Action; and 5) Personal Jurisdiction. Capacity means that the parties must both have the legal ability to bring a suit. If not, the suit will not be able to proceed. Proper Parties means that the parties to the suit must have a legal claim against each other. Subject Matter Jurisdiction refers to the power of the court to hear the dispute. The court must have the authority to make the decision in order for the suit to proceed. A Valid Cause of Action refers to whether or not the plaintiff has a legal basis to bring the suit. It must be established that the defendant has acted in a wrong or unlawful manner and that the plaintiff has suffered some sort of harm or injury in order to move the case forward. Finally, Personal Jurisdiction requires that the defendant must be physically present in the state. The defendant must have some sort of connection to the state in order for the court to have the power to issue a ruling. In order for a civil lawsuit to be heard in Florida, all of these elements must be present. If any of these elements are not met the suit will not be able to proceed.

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What are the elements of a civil lawsuit?

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