Criminal Charges vs. Civil Lawsuits in Domestic Violence Cases: How to Seek Justice—and Compensation

The difference between criminal charges and a civil lawsuit for domestic violence is that you're in two courts, and there are really two proceedings. The criminal case is going to be brought by the district attorney, and that case is going to have to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. And of course the outcome of that, if one is convicted, could be possibly confinement. In the civil context, it's to get compensation for the injuries that are the result of the domestic violence — that could be from being beaten, or other aspects of the domestic violence issue. So you'd be suing for financial compensation. And if the person is convicted in the criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt, that will essentially seal the deal in the civil case, because there's no doubt that they've committed the acts. Then it's just a matter of what the damages are.