Understanding Preponderance of Evidence: A Guide for Civil Court Cases

preponderance of the evidence

usually the standard of proof used in a civil suit; the burden of proof that a party must meet in order to win the lawsuit. To win, a party must provide evidence that is more convincing than the other side’s evidence

Preponderance of the evidence is a legal standard which is used to determine the outcome of a civil court case. It means that the evidence presented by one side must be more convincing than the evidence presented by the other side, and that the greater weight of evidence supports that party’s case.

In other words, if one party is able to present a greater amount of credible and convincing evidence than the other party, that party will win the case based on the preponderance of the evidence. This standard is lower than the standard of proof required in criminal cases, which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

In practice, judges and juries rely on their judgment to determine which party presented the more convincing and believable evidence in a case. The preponderance of the evidence standard is often used in cases involving personal injury, breach of contract, property disputes, and other civil matters.

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