litigii

Litigii is the Romanian term for lawsuits and formal disputes brought before courts. In broad usage, it refers to the process of resolving disagreements through judicial proceedings rather than through negotiation or informal settlements.

Litigation covers a range of matters, including civil and commercial disputes, administrative law challenges, family matters, labor law issues, and other non-criminal disputes decided by civil courts. The exact scope can vary by jurisdiction and legal tradition, but the core idea is resolving contentious issues through the court system.

Typical litigation proceeds through several stages: a complaint or petition is filed with a competent court, the opposing party is served, and a response is submitted. The process may include disclosure of evidence, hearings, and expert testimony. After presentation of arguments, the court issues a judgment, which may be subject to appeal. In many systems, judgments become enforceable upon finality.

Participants include plaintiffs and defendants, their counsel, the judge or panel of judges, court staff, and sometimes mediators or clerks. Costs comprise court fees, attorney fees, and expenses for evidence and experts; many systems have rules guiding how costs are allocated and whether undesired outcomes can be mitigated for the losing side.

Litigation can be lengthy and costly, and its duration is often affected by procedural complexity and court backlogs. Because of this, many disputes are resolved or narrowed through negotiation, mediation, or arbitration, either before or during court proceedings, to save time and resources.

See also: litigation, arbitration, mediation, civil procedure.