suer

A suer is a person who initiates a civil lawsuit by bringing a claim against another party in a court of law. The term is largely historical or formal; in contemporary usage the plaintiff or claimant is more common.

In common law jurisdictions, a suer begins proceedings by filing a complaint or petition and serving process on the defendant. The suer bears the burden to establish the claim’s essential elements by the applicable standard of proof, typically a preponderance of the evidence in civil cases, or another standard defined by statute or rule. The role also involves complying with procedural rules, such as deadlines, discovery, and admissibility of evidence, to move the case toward resolution.

The term suer is most often found in legal dictionaries, historical texts, or older statutes, and is less common in modern practice guides. It may be encountered in discussions of the evolution of civil procedure or in translations of older legal materials. In everyday use within courts, the labels plaintiff or claimant are favored to describe the party who brings a civil action.

See also: Plaintiff, Defendant, Civil procedure, Litigation.