Defamation law addresses harm to a person's or business's reputation caused by false statements presented as fact. Libel generally refers to defamation in a written or otherwise fixed form, while slander refers to spoken defamation. With the rise of online communication, defamation claims today often involve posts, reviews, and other internet content.
To succeed, a defamation claim generally must show that someone made a false statement of fact about the claimant, communicated it to others, and caused reputational or other harm. Several principles limit these claims. Statements of opinion, rather than fact, are generally not defamatory, and truth is a defense — a true statement, however damaging, is not defamation. Public figures and matters of public concern are subject to heightened protections rooted in free-speech principles, meaning such claimants typically must meet a higher bar than private individuals.
For a non-lawyer, it helps to understand that defamation law tries to balance protecting reputation against protecting free expression, and that not every hurtful or unflattering statement qualifies. Time limits to bring a claim are often short. People may consult a lawyer when false statements threaten their livelihood or reputation, when they receive a demand or threat over something they published, or simply to understand whether a statement crosses the legal line.
