A defense attorney, who practices civil law, is someone people need when they wish to go to court against another individual or business. They handle issues such as divorce, business lawsuits, and legal claims that involve personal damages. Their purpose is not to punish, but rather to help their client reach a favorable resolution.
Since civil law is such a broad field, lawyers usually specialize in specific niches. Therefore, we know civil lawyers as either personal injury lawyers, business lawyers, contract lawyers, divorce lawyers, or property lawyers.