<P> Cases such as this illustrate the need for more comprehensive information than mere internet searches when researching legal decisions . While online searches are appropriate for many legal situations, they are not appropriate for all . </P> <P> The following is a generalized description of how a lawsuit may proceed in a common law jurisdiction: </P> <P> A lawsuit begins when a complaint or petition is filed with the court . This complaint should explicitly state that one or more plaintiffs seek (s) damages or equitable relief from one or more stated defendants, and also should identify the legal and factual bases for doing so . It is important that the "plaintiff selects the proper venue with the proper jurisdiction to bring his lawsuit ." The clerk of a court signs or stamps the court seal upon a summons or citation, which is then served by the plaintiff upon the defendant, together with a copy of the complaint . This service notifies the defendants that they are being sued and that they are limited in the amount of time of a reply . The service provides a copy of the complaint in order to notify the defendants of the nature of the claims . Once the defendants are served with the summons and complaint, they are subject to a time limit to file an answer stating their defenses to the plaintiff's claims, which includes any challenges to the court's jurisdiction, and any counterclaims they wish to assert against the plaintiff . </P> <P> In a handful of jurisdictions (notably, the U.S. state of New York) a lawsuit begins when one or more plaintiffs properly serve a summons and complaint upon the defendant (s). In such jurisdictions, nothing must be filed with the court until a dispute develops requiring actual judicial intervention . A complaint can be considered one of the more important steps in pleading during a civil case . This document states the actions that the plaintiff intends to take and also the factual and reasonable basis for the actions . This essentially sets the framework for the entire case and the claim that will be held noteworthy throughout the entire lawsuit . </P>

Who files the lawsuit in a criminal case