If you are facing a business dispute or a lawsuit in Nevada, a civil litigation attorney can protect your money, your property, and your reputation. VK Law handles civil litigation across Nevada — from contract fights and partnership breakups to fraud claims and collecting on a judgment. Most cases are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County (Las Vegas), including its specialized Business Court. Nevada has its own deadlines and rules, so acting early matters. To talk with VK Law, call 877-780-4727.
Key Takeaways
- Civil litigation is how disputes over money, contracts, property, and business are resolved in court when a settlement cannot be reached.
- Most Nevada civil cases are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County (Las Vegas), which has a specialized Business Court for commercial disputes.
- Nevada deadlines are short and unforgiving — many injury claims must be filed within two years, and written-contract claims within six years (Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 11). Missing the deadline can end a valid claim.
- Nevada follows modified comparative negligence: a party found more at fault than the other side generally cannot recover damages (Nevada Revised Statutes 41.141).
- Civil litigation is usually billed by the hour, not on contingency. VK Law offers a free initial consultation — call 877-780-4727.
What civil litigation means in Nevada
Civil litigation is the process of resolving a non-criminal dispute through the court system. One person or business (the plaintiff) sues another (the defendant) over money, a broken agreement, property, or harm to a business. It is different from criminal law, where the government prosecutes a crime. In a civil case, the goal is usually a money judgment, a court order requiring someone to do or stop doing something, or a combination of both.
A Nevada civil litigation attorney guides a client through every stage: the demand and pre-suit negotiation, filing or answering a complaint, the discovery process where both sides exchange evidence, motions, settlement talks or mediation, trial if needed, and appeals. Many disputes settle before trial — but the side that is fully prepared to try the case is usually in the strongest position to settle on good terms.
Common types of civil disputes we handle in Nevada
VK Law represents Nevada businesses, owners, professionals, and individuals in a wide range of civil matters, including:
- Business and commercial disputes — breach of contract, partnership and shareholder conflicts, buy-sell disputes, and breakups of LLCs and corporations.
- Fraud and financial misconduct — misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, and securities or investment-related claims.
- Real estate and property disputes — purchase agreements, boundary and title disputes, construction defects, and landlord-tenant conflicts.
- Judgment enforcement and collections — turning a court judgment into actual recovery through liens, garnishment, and execution.
- Elder financial abuse — civil claims to recover assets taken from an older or vulnerable adult.
- Professional and employment disputes — disagreements over services, compensation, and workplace obligations.
For the firm’s broader civil-litigation practice and its sub-areas — including judgment enforcement, intellectual property, elder abuse, securities and financial fraud, class actions, and FINRA arbitration — see our California civil litigation practice.
Nevada deadlines: the statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is a legal deadline. If you do not file your lawsuit within the time the law allows, the court can throw out an otherwise valid claim. Nevada’s deadlines live in Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 11, and they vary by the type of claim. Common Nevada limitation periods include:
- Personal injury or wrongful death — generally two years.
- Fraud or mistake — generally three years (often measured from when the fraud is discovered).
- Trespass or injury to real property — generally three years.
- Oral (spoken) contracts — generally four years.
- Written contracts — generally six years.
These are general rules, and important exceptions can shorten or extend a deadline depending on the facts. Because the clock often starts before you realize you have a claim, it is worth speaking with a lawyer early rather than waiting.
How fault works in Nevada: modified comparative negligence
Many civil disputes turn on who was at fault and by how much. Nevada uses a rule called modified comparative negligence (Nevada Revised Statutes 41.141). In plain terms: a party’s recovery is reduced by their share of the fault, and a party who is found more at fault than the other side generally cannot recover damages at all. This 51-percent bar makes the question of fault percentages central to many Nevada cases — and it is a key reason to build the evidence early.
Nevada’s anti-SLAPP law
Nevada has a strong anti-SLAPP law (Nevada Revised Statutes 41.660). SLAPP stands for a “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation” — a lawsuit filed to punish or silence someone for speaking out on a matter of public concern or exercising the right to petition the government. Nevada’s law lets a defendant file a special motion to dismiss early in the case and can pause discovery while the court decides it. If you are sued over protected speech, or if you are weighing a claim that could trigger an anti-SLAPP motion, this rule can change the entire strategy of a case.
Where Nevada civil cases are heard
Most civil lawsuits in the Las Vegas area are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County. That court runs a specialized Business Court for complex commercial disputes — cases involving contracts, business governance, securities, and similar matters — handled by judges who focus on business litigation. Smaller-dollar disputes may be filed in justice court. Appeals from the district court go to the Nevada Court of Appeals and the Nevada Supreme Court. Knowing the right court, and the local rules that apply there, is part of building a case correctly from day one.
Collecting on a Nevada judgment
Winning a lawsuit is only half the battle — a judgment is not money until you collect it. Under Nevada law, recording a judgment with a county recorder can create a lien on the debtor’s real property in that county, and that lien generally lasts six years (Nevada Revised Statutes 17.150). A Nevada judgment can also be renewed before it expires by filing the proper affidavit within the 90-day window the law allows (Nevada Revised Statutes 17.214), so a valid judgment does not have to lapse. Other collection tools include wage garnishment and writs of execution against a debtor’s assets. Judgment enforcement is technical and deadline-driven, which is exactly why having a lawyer manage it pays off.
How VK Law helps
VK Law is a law firm serving clients in California, Nevada, and New York. Our civil litigation work starts with understanding your goal — whether that is recovering money, enforcing a contract, defending against a claim, or collecting on a judgment — and then matching the strategy to it. We handle disputes from the first demand letter through discovery, motions, mediation, trial, and appeal, and we keep clients informed in plain language at each step.
Civil litigation is typically billed by the hour rather than on a contingency fee, and we are transparent about scope and cost from the start. Nevada clients who would also benefit from estate or trust planning can learn more about our Nevada trust and estate practice.
Talk with a Nevada civil litigation attorney
Civil disputes rarely improve by waiting — deadlines run, evidence disappears, and the other side gets ahead. If you are dealing with a business dispute, a lawsuit, or an unpaid judgment in Nevada, the sooner you have counsel, the more options you have. To talk with VK Law, call 877-780-4727 for a free consultation.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and deadlines change and apply differently to each situation; consult a licensed attorney about your specific facts. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Related civil litigation pages
Last reviewed: June 2026 by the attorneys of Vaksman Khalfin, PC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Civil litigation is the process of resolving a non-criminal dispute in court — usually over money, contracts, property, or business. One side sues the other seeking a money judgment or a court order. It is separate from criminal law, where the government prosecutes a crime.
It depends on the claim. Under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 11, written-contract claims generally must be filed within six years, oral contracts within four years, fraud within three years, and personal injury within two years. Exceptions can change these dates, so confirm your deadline with a lawyer early.
Most are filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County. That court has a specialized Business Court for complex commercial disputes. Smaller-dollar cases may go to justice court, and appeals go to the Nevada Court of Appeals and the Nevada Supreme Court.
Nevada uses modified comparative negligence (Nevada Revised Statutes 41.141). Your recovery is reduced by your share of the fault, and if you are found more at fault than the other side, you generally cannot recover at all. This makes proving fault percentages very important.
Nevada's anti-SLAPP law (Nevada Revised Statutes 41.660) lets someone sued over protected speech or petitioning activity file a special motion to dismiss early in the case, often pausing discovery while the court decides. It is meant to stop lawsuits designed to silence public participation.
A judgment is not money until you enforce it. Recording it with a county recorder can place a lien on the debtor's real property for six years (Nevada Revised Statutes 17.150), and the judgment can be renewed before it expires (Nevada Revised Statutes 17.214). Garnishment and writs of execution are other tools.
Civil litigation is usually billed by the hour, not on a contingency fee, because these cases vary widely in scope. VK Law discusses fees and likely scope up front and offers a free initial consultation so you can understand your options before committing.
Yes. VK Law serves clients across Nevada and also in California and New York. Many Nevada matters are centered in Clark County, but our civil litigation practice is not limited to Las Vegas.
