What is litigation?

Litigation is like having a big disagreement and asking a group of judges to help decide who’s right.

Imagine you and your friend both want the last cookie in the jar. You argue about it, but no one can agree. That's when you might go to court, a special place where people can ask others (called judges) to make a fair decision. In litigation, grown-ups do this too, but instead of cookies, they might be fighting about money, a house, or even who did something wrong.

When people go to court for a disagreement, they each tell their side of the story, just like you and your friend would if you asked the teacher to help. Each person has lawyers, who are like helpers that know all the rules of arguing fairly. The judges listen carefully and then decide who wins.

Sometimes people can't agree on their own, so they ask a judge to help them find the truth, just like you might ask a teacher to settle a cookie fight. Court is a way to make sure things are fair when people disagree.