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A lot of times in child abuse and molestation cases, people contact a lawyer without really knowing what kind of lawyer they need, or really what their goal is. In the United States, there are two types of law: Civil and Criminal. They are very different systems of justice, and if you have been harmed, it is important to understand them. The criminal justice system seeks to punish a perpetrator, usually by jail or prison time, but possibly also by probation or community service. A civil lawsuit is much different. It seeks to recover monetary compensation for the victim. Criminal cases are filed by the government, and usually start when the victim reports the crime (calling 911 or filing a police report). Civil cases are filed by a private party, typically by their attorney. Estey Bomberger has made an infographic explaining the core differences between these two types of law. It is below. For more information, visit http://www.childmolestationvictims.com/.

The Differences Between Civil and Criminal Law – A resource by the team at ChildMolestationVictim.com