Before you take a case to court, there are some basic facts about civil litigation you should know. 

1. This isn't Law & Order. In general, what you see on TV law shows like Law and Order is criminal law, and what happens in a criminal case is not the same as the typical small business sees in a civil case. Civil litigation is between two parties in which one party is claimed to have injured another.

Criminal law is the government prosecuting a crime against society. In civil law, the burden of proof changes from "reasonable doubt" to "preponderance of evidence," which is less onerous on the plaintiff.

Civil litigation isn't always in front of a jury, as in criminal cases. A "bench trial" in front of a judge is common. This changes the dynamic of the situation drastically.

2. You never know how a case will turn out.  Just as we have seen it happen on TV law shows like Law and Order, you may think you have a slam dunk, only to find that you get a judge who disagrees.  For an example, go to the Reader Stories about Small Claims Court article.

3. You Can't Force Someone to Pay. In Small Claims Court, you can get a judgment by the Court for money owed you, but you may have great difficulty collecting the money.  There are ways the Court can put pressure on the payee, with garnishment or a lien against property.  But, as they say, "you can't get blood from a turnip."

4. What You Think is Important Might Not Be. Many times on a TV law show, the defendant is trying to make a point or advocating a cause, but they ignore the key point that they committed murder.

Don't get hung up on the small stuff; it's not a "matter of principle," it's a matter of the facts of the case. Listen to your attorney and follow his/her advice.  Do you want to win the case or make your point?  You usually don't get to do both.

5. You Will Most Likely be Paying Your Attorney's Bills. Unless you are going to Small Claims Court without an attorney, if you are taking this case to court to save money or get a big payoff, it won't happen.  My favorite example is taking a non-compete case to court.  After many months, perhaps years, of litigation on whether the non-compete is reasonable and whether the other party breached your non-compete, the only people who win are the attorneys.

6. Fraud Cases are Difficult to Prove. Many business cases involve fraud, but the list of steps to proving fraud is lengthy, and each one must be proved.  Reasonable doubt doesn't apply here (that's for criminal cases like those on TV law shows), but imagine trying to prove that someone knew that their statements were false.  How do you prove that?

7.  Most Cases are Settled Out of Court. Like in TV law show cases, the parties don't want to go to court - too expensive and too risky (see #1).  In insurance-related cases in particular, the attorneys (one of whom probably works for an insurance company) often reach an agreement just before trial, when they have the most leverage.  If you want to go to court to make your case heard, don't count on it happening.

The Bottom Line? Understanding these factors can save you a lot of money help you select an attorney or consider whether to take a case to court.