The law impacts all aspects of our lives. But what is law? It is the rules made and enforced by government. It is intended essentially to provide rules about how people, either as individuals or in groups, conduct themselves with each other.

What a person’s legal status is in society and what to do when conflicts arise are resolved in the law. The law makes a distinction between a minor and an adult and what rights and responsibilities each have. The legal justice system is available when conflicts cannot be resolved in some other less confrontational method.

There are two categories of law. One is criminal law, which controls public actions and establishes what duties a person owes to society. These can be as simple as stopping at a red traffic light while driving a car. If these laws are not followed, a legal action is brought by the government against the person charged with committing the crime. People found guilty can be put in jail, required to pay fines, placed under supervisor or punished in some other way.

The other category is civil law. This type of law regulates relations between individuals or groups of individuals. If disputes between these people cannot be resolved, one party may bring a legal action in court against the other, which is called a lawsuit. The person bringing the lawsuit may ask for money damages, or ask for some other action to correct the wrong that was done.

Sometimes the same behavior can result in a criminal and civil action.For example, if a driver runs the red traffic light, hits a pedestrian and causes injuries to the pedestrian, the driver can be charged in a criminal case by the government. The driver also can be sued in a civil case by the pedestrian for the injuries they received.

You can learn much more about the law in general and how it impacts you through:
the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) guide,
The Law & You: http://www.ohiobar.org/pub/?articleid=276

The Ohio Legal Services also provide general legal information:
http://www.ohiolegalservices.org/public/legal_problem/

If you have other questions or legal issues, you might want to consult an attorney. Here is a link with details on lawyer referral services that have registered with the Ohio Supreme Court: www.sconet.state.oh.us/Lawyer_Referral/default.asp