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.
Lake Clear is a hamlet and a lake in Franklin County, New York, United States. The area is named for 940-acre (3.8 km) Lake Clear, part of the original Seven Carries canoe route. It is located in the town of Harrietstown. In the late 1800s, Lake Clear was near the center of a thriving tourist industry; Upper Saint Regis Lake, three miles (5 km) to the north is home to some of the earliest and most elite of the Adirondack Great Camps, and famous Paul Smith's Hotel was only five miles to the north. Saranac Inn, on the shore of Upper Saranac Lake, is four miles (6 km) to the west, and the village of Saranac Lake is six miles (10 km) to the southeast. In 1893, the Mohawk and Malone Railway reached Lake Clear, and in 1906, Paul Smith built an electric railroad that ran from Lake Clear to his hotel. Today the area is still largely devoted to tourism, but in a much quieter way. Many of the area's great camps and cottages are still in use, along with other guest facilities. The nearby Saint Regis Canoe Area is a major draw for paddlers. The state now owns much of the land, including most of the shoreline of Lake Clear, and it operates a fish hatchery at nearby Little Clear Pond. The Adirondack Airport is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Lake Clear; although it is nominally in Saranac Lake, it is known locally as the "Lake Clear Airport.