Litigation is the legal name for the procedure of taking a case through court. Normally, litigation is practiced in the civil courts of the United States. There is always an individual who brings the charges, called the plaintiff, and another individual against whom the charges are brought, the defendant. Going through litigation can be quite stressful. This is why most people who know they will be dealing with litigation will hire an attorney. The use of a good attorney can help to make litigation somewhat less of a hassle for both the plaintiff and the defendant. When two people cannot settle an issue between them, often the use of litigation is much better suited to the matter than arbitration would be. Litigation is useful for many different circumstances.