Civil litigation is an area of law where one individual can bring a lawsuit against another individual in order to obtain a judgment that prevents someone from doing something, forces someone to do something, or provides the plaintiff with compensation. In many cases of civil litigation, the final outcome is a combination of all three. Civil litigation can sometimes be solved through mediation or arbitration if the two parties are able to reach an agreement, but frequently, actual litigation is required in order to reach a decision that can be legally upheld.