Different Branches of Law

If you are a student of law, you must be well aware of the different branches of law. Each of these branches deals with a different aspect of law, and has its own set of specialists and advisors. For a layman, it is important to understand that there are different branches of lawyers who deal with these various branches of law, and this is something one should know before approaching a prospective lawyer for help to solve a problem or legal issue.

Branches of Law

There are more than 20 branches of law that you should familiarize yourself with, and each of these has their own policies and nuances.

Civil law: Any dispute that is related to contractual agreements and such can be classified under civil law. In other words, any dispute that does not involve criminal charges falls under the civil law category.

Criminal law: Any dispute that concerns a crime committed against public authority or other citizens falls under criminal law. Along with civil law, criminal law is one of the broad classifications under which an offense can be placed. Murder, theft, driving under the influence and other such violations fall under criminal law, and are handled by a criminal defense lawyer.

Property law: Ownership and disputes regarding property ownership will be dealt with under the property law statutes. It is important to understand the difference between movable and immovable property here. Movable property is one's personal possessions, while immovable law refers to real estate and land. Property laws deal with the issues regarding immovable property.

Income tax law: This branch deals with the income tax and other tax-related disputes between individuals or companies and the Federal Government. Income tax laws require a great deal of expertise to be adhered to, and there are many specialists and lawyers who provide this expertise.

Labor law: Out of all the different branches of law, this one deals with the terms and conditions and disputes regarding employment of labor. This is a set of rulings and regulations that govern the relationship and terms between an employer and employee. Though this falls under civil law, it is highly vast and extensive in nature.

Minor law: A minor is a person who is below 18 years of age, and there are several rules and regulations set in place for the protection of minors. Exploiting a minor is a grave offense, and there are many platforms from which disputes can occur. Most cases that minors are involved in are with regard to property law issues.

Environment law: This is a set of treaties, agreements, rules and statutes that aim to protect the environment. Anyone who offends these laws is subject to judgment through the system that is set in place. Due to its general nature, environment law does not fall under the criminal law category. This is one of the types of law that are more generic in nature, and require highly specialized lawyers.

Administration law: This is a body of laws that deals with the activities and governing capacities of the administrative bodies of the Government. These bodies should not be exempt from standard laws of functioning, and administration law is the branch that deals with disputes regarding the same.

Constitutional law: This is one of the different branches of law that deals with the study and the practice of the principles set forth by the US Constitution. Any violation that disregards Constitutional policies is scrutinized by specialists in this branch of law and governance.

Press law: The press and media enjoys the benefits of freedom of speech, but there are certain rules and regulations to be adhered to here as well. The press law deals with the liberties and powers enjoyed by the media, and it also governs the copyrighting issue of intellectual property rights.

Sale of goods law: This is the set of laws and legal rules regarding the sale and purchase of goods. There needs to be a proper system in place to enable the smooth transaction of goods and services, and the sale of goods law is the set of laws one refers to if any disputes arise.

Along with these branches that are mentioned, here are some more different branches of law that you may come across at some point or the other.

• Marine law
• Public international law
• Family law
• Law of Torts
• Corporate law
• Excise law
• Limitation and arbitration law
• Air law
• Defamation law
• Parliamentary law

All these different branches of law go hand in hand and work simultaneously to enable the smooth functioning of society. People who break these laws are dealt with accordingly, and this is what keeps our society working.