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.
Climax is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 791 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Climax Township on the northern boundary with Charleston Township, and is roughly 15 miles west of Battle Creek and 10 miles east of Kalamazoo. Climax shares a school district with the neighboring town of Scotts. Almost everything in Climax is located on the main cross streets, Main and Maple. The school, cemetery and Harvester restaurant all lie along South Main St. North Main boasts the relatively new music studio (housed in what used to be an independent hardware store), a convenience store, the village library, park, phone company and post office, the bank, Peace Community Church, a few homes, and the town newspaper: the Climax Crescent . Maple is almost entirely residential, with the exception of the United Methodist Church and Sinclair's Market.