Civil Docket Law and Legal Definition
A civil docket is an official list of cases that are pending before a civil court. It is a schedule that informs judges, plaintiffs, and defendants case dates for appearances, arguments or hearings. Details regarding private law suits between citizens can be found in a civil docket.
Cases are usually scheduled at least several weeks in advance. Therefore, interested parties can use the civil docket to know the issues being litigated. Cases listed in a civil docket are mainly grounded in tort law because civil courts deal with the duties people owe to each other.
If a person’s civil right is violated, his/her attorney files a law suit in a civil court. Then, an official notice is sent to the defendant. A case is docketed in a civil docket only after the defendant is served notice.
