What are plaintiffs?

Plaintiffs are people who ask a court to help them solve a problem.

Imagine you're playing a game with your friend, and they take all your toys without asking. You feel upset and want the toys back. So you go to a grown-up, like a teacher or a judge, and tell them what happened. That grown-up can decide if your friend should give you your toys back. In this story, you are the plaintiff, because you’re the one who started the problem and asked for help.

Sometimes, people need a bigger helper, like a court. A plaintiff is someone who starts a legal case by telling the court about their problem. They're like the person who says, “Hey, I need help with this!”

The other side in the case, usually the one who did something wrong, is called the defendant. Together, they’re like two sides of a game or a story, and the judge helps them figure out who’s right.