A civil litigation lawyer represents businesses and individuals in non-criminal disputes — breach of contract, unpaid accounts, partnership and shareholder fights, fraud, property disputes, and collecting on money judgments — through negotiation, arbitration, or the courts. In the Las Vegas area, most civil lawsuits are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, which runs a specialized Business Court for commercial matters. Vaksman Khalfin, PC represents plaintiffs and defendants in civil disputes across Nevada. For a free consultation, call 877-780-4727.
Key takeaways
- Civil litigation resolves disputes over money, contracts, property, and business conduct. The remedy is damages or a court order — not jail.
- Most Las Vegas civil cases are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court. Qualifying commercial cases go to its Business Court under EDCR 1.61 — and for corporate-law disputes, without regard to the amount in controversy.
- Nevada’s deadlines are short. Under NRS Chapter 11: six years for written contracts, four years for oral contracts and open accounts, three years for fraud, and two years for personal injury and for defamation.
- Nevada’s offer of judgment rule (NRS 17.117) can shift costs and attorney’s fees onto a party who rejects an offer and then does no better at trial. It changes settlement math on both sides.
- A Nevada money judgment must be enforced within six years and renewed on a strict schedule, or the right to collect can lapse.
- Claims against a Nevada public entity are a different track: a separate claim-filing requirement and a statutory damages cap.
What a civil litigation lawyer does
Civil litigation is the process of resolving a non-criminal dispute. One party (the plaintiff) claims another (the defendant) owes money, broke an agreement, damaged property, or caused harm. There is no prosecutor and no jail. The goal is usually a money judgment, a court order requiring someone to do or stop doing something, or both.
A civil litigator handles the whole arc of that dispute: evaluating the claim and confirming the deadline, sending or answering a demand letter, filing or responding to a complaint, exchanging evidence in discovery, arguing motions, negotiating settlement, trying the case if it does not resolve, and then enforcing or appealing the judgment.
Most civil disputes never reach a jury. They settle, they go to mediation or arbitration, or a judge decides them on written motions. Much of a litigator’s value is judgment about which of those routes fits your situation, and how hard to push before taking it.
Civil litigation, civil rights litigation, and criminal defense
These get confused, and the distinction matters when you are choosing counsel.
Civil litigation covers private disputes between parties — contracts, business conflicts, money, property. Criminal defense involves charges brought by the government, where liberty is at stake. Civil rights litigation is a specialized field concerning claims that a government actor or institution violated constitutional or statutory rights, often brought under federal law; it has its own procedural rules, immunity doctrines, and practitioners.
VK Law’s Nevada civil litigation practice is focused on commercial, contract, business, property, and judgment-enforcement disputes. If your matter is a civil rights claim or a criminal charge, we will tell you at the outset and point you toward counsel who handles that work.
Are you the plaintiff or the defendant?
Posture drives strategy, cost, and timing.
If you are bringing the claim: the first questions are whether the claim is still timely, whether the other side has assets worth pursuing, and whether a well-built demand letter can resolve it before litigation costs mount. Collectability matters as much as liability — a judgment against someone with nothing to take is an expensive piece of paper.
If you have been sued: the clock starts immediately. There are deadlines to respond, and missing one can produce a default. Early work focuses on whether the complaint can be attacked on the pleadings, whether the limitation period has run, whether the case is in the right court, and whether you have counterclaims worth asserting.
We represent both sides. If you have been served, the timing is worth discussing sooner rather than later.
Civil disputes we handle in Nevada
- Business and commercial disputes: breach of contract, partnership and shareholder conflicts, buy-sell disputes, and the breakup of LLCs and corporations.
- Fraud and financial misconduct: misrepresentation, concealment, breach of fiduciary duty, and related financial claims.
- Real estate and property disputes: purchase agreements, boundary and title disputes, and commercial lease conflicts.
- Judgment enforcement and collections: turning an unpaid judgment into actual recovery, and defending against enforcement.
- Elder financial abuse: civil claims to recover assets taken from an older or vulnerable adult.
- Contract and services disputes involving professionals, vendors, and suppliers.
Nevadans with trust or estate conflicts are usually better served by our Nevada trust and estate attorneys. If the dispute arises from an injury, our Nevada personal injury team handles those claims.
Where your case will be heard in Nevada
District court and justice court
Nevada’s district courts are the trial courts of general jurisdiction. In the Las Vegas area, that is the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County; in the Reno area, the Second Judicial District Court in Washoe County. The Eighth Judicial District Court’s own guidance describes district court as handling civil lawsuits above $15,000. Smaller money claims go to justice court, which also runs a small claims division under NRS Chapter 73.
Business Court
The Eighth Judicial District Court operates a specialized Business Court. What qualifies is defined by rule, not by size alone. Under EDCR 1.61(a), “business matters” are:
- Matters whose primary claims or issues arise under NRS Chapters 78 through 92A — Nevada’s corporate, LLC, partnership, and merger statutes — or similar statutes from other jurisdictions, without regard to the amount in controversy; and
- Claims under the Uniform Commercial Code, claims arising from business torts, claims arising from the purchase or sale of the stock of a business, of substantially all of a business’s assets, or of commercial real estate, and business franchise transactions and relationships.
EDCR 1.61(b) lists what is not a business matter even when a business is involved, including personal injury, products liability, consumer claims against a business, residential landlord-tenant and residential real estate disputes, employment claims including wrongful termination, malpractice, claims to collect professional fees, residential construction defect, and — a point that catches creditors out — proceedings to register or enforce a judgment, regardless of the underlying case.
Assignment is driven by the pleadings. Under EDCR 1.61(c), a plaintiff who identifies the qualifying category in the caption of the initial complaint has the case assigned as a business matter automatically by the clerk. If another party requests it later, the case is assigned to a business court judge to decide whether it belongs there. A party aggrieved by the designation has 10 days to seek review, and the business court judge’s decision on whether a case is a business matter is not appealable or reviewable by writ. Getting that caption right at filing is a real strategic decision.
Appeals
Appeals from Nevada’s district courts go to the Nevada appellate courts — the Nevada Court of Appeals and the Nevada Supreme Court.
Deadlines: Nevada’s statutes of limitations
A statute of limitations is the deadline for filing suit. Miss it and an otherwise strong claim can be dismissed on that basis alone. Nevada’s general civil deadlines are in NRS 11.190:
| Type of claim | Deadline |
| Action on a written contract or other written instrument | 6 years |
| Action on a judgment or decree, or its renewal | 6 years |
| Oral contract or obligation not founded on a writing | 4 years |
| Open account for goods sold and delivered; account charged in a store | 4 years |
| Deceptive trade practice claim (runs from discovery) | 4 years |
| Fraud or mistake (runs from discovery of the facts) | 3 years |
| Waste or trespass of real property | 3 years |
| Taking, detaining, or injuring personal property | 3 years |
| Liability created by statute (other than a penalty or forfeiture) | 3 years |
| Injury to a person, or death, caused by wrongful act or neglect | 2 years |
| Libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment | 2 years |
Two things worth knowing. First, some claims sit outside this section entirely: attorney and accountant malpractice, construction defect, and claims involving minors each have their own timing rules elsewhere in NRS Chapter 11. Second, a catch-all applies — NRS 11.220 gives four years for relief not otherwise provided for. And under NRS 11.200, a payment or acknowledgment made after the period has already expired does not revive it.
These are general rules and the date the clock starts depends on the facts. Confirming the correct deadline is one of the first things a civil litigation lawyer does.
How long a Nevada civil case takes
Any lawyer who promises you a date at the outset is guessing. But the Eighth Judicial District Court publishes caseflow standards in EDCR 1.90, and they give a realistic frame:
- The court’s stated goal is final resolution of 80% of civil cases within 24 months of filing and 95% within 36 months, recognizing that some cases run longer.
- Except in complex litigation, pretrial discovery is to be completed within 18 months of the filing of the joint case conference report — 24 months in complex cases.
- Cases are to be set for trial no later than 6 months after the discovery cut-off.
- Pretrial motions are to be heard and decided no later than 14 days before trial.
Those are the court’s targets, not guarantees, and every case has its own facts. The variables that actually move the timeline are the volume of documents, the number of depositions, how much motion practice the parties generate, and whether the other side wants to resolve. Most cases end well before any of these outer limits.
What civil litigation costs in Nevada
Business and contract litigation is commonly billed hourly rather than on a contingency (percentage-of-recovery) basis, because the value of these cases is harder to predict than in a typical injury claim and much of the work is defensive. For discrete stages, a flat or hybrid arrangement can make sense. Court fees, filing fees, deposition transcripts, and expert costs are separate from attorney’s fees and are generally the client’s responsibility regardless of outcome.
One Nevada rule deserves specific attention, because it can change what a case costs more than almost anything else you decide.
The offer of judgment rule (NRS 17.117)
More than 21 days before trial, any party may serve a written offer to allow judgment to be taken on stated terms. The other side has 14 days to accept. If it is not accepted, it is deemed rejected and withdrawn.
Here is why it matters. Under NRS 17.117(10), if a party rejects an offer and then fails to obtain a more favorable judgment, that party cannot recover its own post-offer costs, expenses, attorney’s fees, or interest — and must pay the offeror’s post-offer costs and expenses, a reasonable sum for expert witnesses reasonably necessary for trial, interest on the judgment from the time of the offer, and reasonable attorney’s fees the offeror actually incurred from the time of the offer, where fees are otherwise allowed.
That is a serious downside risk for turning down a reasonable offer, and it runs in both directions. Evaluating an offer of judgment, and deciding when to make one, is one of the highest-leverage moments in a Nevada civil case.
We discuss the likely path and the fee arrangement before you commit to anything. The initial consultation is free.
Collecting a Nevada judgment
Winning and getting paid are two different projects. A judgment is a court’s determination that money is owed; the court does not collect it for you.
Creating a lien. Under NRS 17.150(2), a certified transcript, abstract, or copy of a district court judgment may be recorded with the county recorder in any Nevada county. Once recorded, it becomes a lien on the debtor’s non-exempt real property in that county — property owned then or acquired afterward. The lien continues for six years after the judgment was docketed, and continues each time the judgment is renewed, unless enforcement is stayed on appeal, the judgment is satisfied, or the lien is otherwise discharged. A creditor recording a judgment must also record an affidavit of judgment with specified identifying information.
Renewing before it lapses. The right to act on a judgment runs six years under NRS 11.190(1)(a). NRS 17.214 sets out how to renew, and the procedure is exacting: file an “Affidavit of Renewal of Judgment” with the clerk within the 90 days before the judgment expires; if the judgment is recorded, record the affidavit within three days of filing; and serve a copy on the debtor by certified mail, return receipt requested, within three days of filing. Successive renewals follow the same 90-day window. Calendaring this correctly is not optional — miss it and the judgment can lapse.
Interest. Under NRS 17.130(2), where no rate is set by contract or otherwise, a judgment draws interest at the prime rate at Nevada’s largest bank as ascertained on the preceding January 1 or July 1, plus 2 percent, adjusted each January 1 and July 1 until satisfied. Nevada’s judgment interest rate floats; it is not a fixed number.
Out-of-state judgments. Nevada has adopted the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (NRS 17.330 to 17.400). An exemplified copy of a judgment from another state may be filed with the clerk of any Nevada district court and is then treated like a Nevada judgment. The creditor must mail notice to the debtor and file an affidavit of that mailing, and no execution may issue until 30 days after the notice is mailed.
Our California judgment enforcement page covers the equivalent process for judgments entered there.
Nevada’s anti-SLAPP law
A SLAPP — Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation — is a suit brought less to win than to burden or silence someone for speaking out. Nevada’s provisions are at NRS 41.635 to 41.670.
NRS 41.637 defines a “good faith communication in furtherance of the right to petition or the right to free speech in direct connection with an issue of public concern.” NRS 41.660 allows a person sued over such a communication to file a special motion to dismiss, provides for a stay of discovery while the motion is decided, and provides that a dismissal under it operates as an adjudication upon the merits. NRS 41.670 addresses the award of reasonable costs, attorney’s fees, and monetary relief, a separate action for damages, sanctions for a frivolous or vexatious special motion, and an interlocutory appeal.
The practical effect is that in Nevada, a defamation or similar claim touching public commentary can be met with an early, discovery-freezing motion that carries fee exposure. If you have been sued over a review, a complaint to a government body, or public commentary — or if you are considering filing a claim that might trigger this — it is worth evaluating before anything is filed.
Claims involving a Nevada government body
Suing the State of Nevada or a local government is a different track, and the differences are easy to miss.
Nevada has waived sovereign immunity for itself and its political subdivisions, within limits (NRS 41.031). But under NRS 41.035, an award of damages in a tort action against the State, a political subdivision, or their officers and employees acting within the scope of their duties may not exceed $200,000 per claimant, exclusive of post-judgment interest, and may not include punitive or exemplary damages.
Separately, NRS 41.036 requires a person with a tort claim against the State to file it with the Attorney General within two years of accrual, and a claim against a political subdivision to be filed with that body’s governing board within two years. Note the wrinkle: under NRS 41.036(3), filing that claim is not a condition precedent to bringing an action under NRS 41.031 — but different rules apply to claims against individual public officers and employees. If a government body may be on either side of your dispute, raise it early.
Fault and comparative negligence
Where a Nevada civil claim turns on negligence, fault allocation between the parties can reduce or eliminate a recovery under NRS 41.141, the statute governing when comparative negligence is not a bar to recovery. This comes up far more often in injury cases than in contract disputes; our Nevada personal injury team covers it in that context.
Working with VK Law
Vaksman Khalfin, PC serves clients in California, Nevada, and New York, with a Las Vegas office at 10161 Park Run Drive, Suite 150. Our approach starts with what you actually want out of the dispute. Sometimes that is a fast, quiet resolution that preserves a business relationship; sometimes it is a firm stand. Those are different strategies and confusing them wastes money.
We handle contract and commercial disputes, business and partnership conflicts, fraud claims, property disputes, and judgment enforcement. We explain where a case stands in plain language, we flag risks rather than burying them, and we say early if a matter is outside what we do. You can also compare our work in other states on our California civil litigation and New York civil litigation pages.
Talk with a Las Vegas civil litigation lawyer
Civil disputes rarely improve by waiting. Deadlines run, evidence disappears, and assets move. To discuss your situation, call 877-780-4727 or reach our Las Vegas office at 702-505-4444. You can also schedule a free consultation. We will listen to what happened, identify any deadline that may apply, and explain the realistic options in plain English.
Reviewed by: Robert B. Vaksman, Partner, Vaksman Khalfin, PC — admitted in Nevada. Attorney profile
Last reviewed: 08/28/2026
Frequently asked questions
A civil litigation lawyer represents a business or individual in a non-criminal dispute over a contract, a debt, fraud, a business conflict, or property. The work runs from the first demand letter through filing or defending a lawsuit, discovery, motions, settlement, trial, and enforcing or appealing a judgment.
The usual sequence is assessment and demand, pleadings, discovery, motions, settlement or alternative dispute resolution, trial if the case does not resolve, then judgment enforcement and any appeal. Discovery — the exchange of documents and deposition testimony — is typically the longest and most expensive phase.
Business and contract litigation is commonly billed hourly rather than on contingency, though flat or hybrid arrangements can fit particular stages. Cost tracks the volume of discovery, the amount of motion practice, and how far the case goes. Court fees, transcripts, and expert costs are separate from attorney's fees. Nevada's offer of judgment rule can also shift costs and fees, which is why offers deserve careful evaluation. VK Law discusses the arrangement at the outset and the initial consultation is free.
No. Civil rights litigation is a specialized field concerning claims that a government actor or institution violated constitutional or statutory rights, often under federal law, with its own procedures and immunity doctrines. General civil litigation covers private disputes over contracts, business, money, and property. VK Law's Nevada civil litigation practice focuses on the latter.
It depends on the claim. Under NRS 11.190, written contract claims generally run six years, oral contracts and open accounts four years, fraud three years from discovery, waste or trespass of real property three years, and personal injury and defamation two years. Other claims have their own rules elsewhere in NRS Chapter 11, and NRS 11.220 provides a four-year catch-all. Confirm your specific deadline with a lawyer early.
Most are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, which the court describes as handling civil lawsuits above $15,000. Smaller money claims go to justice court, which includes a small claims division under NRS Chapter 73. Qualifying commercial cases are assigned to the Business Court under EDCR 1.61. Appeals go to the Nevada Court of Appeals and the Nevada Supreme Court.
It is a specialized docket of the Eighth Judicial District Court. Under EDCR 1.61(a), business matters include cases whose primary issues arise under NRS Chapters 78 to 92A — Nevada's corporate, LLC, and partnership statutes — without regard to the amount in controversy, plus UCC claims, business torts, claims from the sale of a business's stock or assets or of commercial real estate, and franchise matters. EDCR 1.61(b) excludes categories including personal injury, employment claims, residential real estate, and proceedings to enforce a judgment. A plaintiff can request assignment in the caption of the initial complaint.
It varies with the case. The Eighth Judicial District Court's caseflow standards in EDCR 1.90 aim for final resolution of 80% of civil cases within 24 months of filing and 95% within 36 months, with pretrial discovery completed within 18 months of the joint case conference report (24 months in complex litigation) and trial set within 6 months after the discovery cut-off. Those are the court's targets, not guarantees, and most cases resolve earlier.
A judgment is not money until it is enforced. Recording a certified transcript or abstract with a county recorder creates a lien on the debtor's non-exempt real property in that county, including property acquired later, and that lien continues six years from docketing under NRS 17.150. The right to act on the judgment also runs six years under NRS 11.190(1)(a), and renewal under NRS 17.214 requires filing an Affidavit of Renewal within the 90 days before expiration, recording it within three days if the judgment is recorded, and serving the debtor by certified mail within three days. Judgment interest under NRS 17.130 floats at Nevada's prime rate plus 2 percent.
Under NRS 41.660, a person sued over a good faith communication in furtherance of the right to petition or of free speech on an issue of public concern, as defined in NRS 41.637, may file a special motion to dismiss. The statute provides for a stay of discovery while the motion is decided and provides that dismissal operates as an adjudication upon the merits. NRS 41.670 addresses costs, attorney's fees, monetary relief, sanctions, and interlocutory appeal.
Yes. VK Law serves clients across Nevada, including the Reno area, and also in California and New York. Many Nevada matters are centered in Clark County, but the practice is not limited to Las Vegas.
