Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals and/or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim. For instance, if a car crash victim claims damages against the driver for loss or injury sustained in an accident, this will be a civil law case. Civil law courts provide a forum for deciding disputes involving torts (such as accidents, negligence, and libel), contract disputes, the probate of wills, trusts, property disputes, administrative law, commercial law, and any other private matters that involve private parties or organizations including government departments. The objectives of civil law are different from other types of law. In civil law there is the attempt to right a wrong, honor an agreement, or settle a dispute. If there is a victim, they get compensation, and the person who is the cause of the wrong pays, this being a civilized form of, or legal alternative to, revenge.
Stilwell is a small unincorporated community in Johnson County in the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a southern outlying suburb of Kansas City. Stilwell was named for a conductor on the first Missouri Pacific train to arrive in the community in the 1870s. Stilwell is mostly farmland, but in recent years has spawned suburban neighborhoods. The Aubry Township Board has stated that by 2010, most of Stilwell will be urban. Stilwell has low land value and some farms are abandoned; however, in recent years, the large population growth of Overland Park, Kansas has increased the demand for new neighborhoods, raising the land value in some areas to high amounts. Stilwell is located at 38°46′09″N 94°39′23″W / 38.76917°N 94.65639°W / 38.76917; -94.65639Coordinates: 38°46′09″N 94°39′23″W / 38.76917°N 94.65639°W / 38.76917; -94.65639 and encompasses 48.7 square miles, roughly from State Line to Antioch and from 159th Street to 215th Street.