Pippa Corbett answered
If someone steals from you, they can be convicted of various criminal offences.
Usually, you won't need to sue the perpetrator of a criminal offence, because any damages will be awarded to you by a judge during a criminal case.
Suing someone without filing criminal charges against them may be less common, but is still legally-possible.
How to sue someone that's stolen from you
Suing someone for stealing will involve taking them to court and proving that they've committed a criminal act that has directly lead to financial loss or damages.
The process will vary from country to country, so often the best advice can be found on your local citizen's advice service website - and, because theft is a criminal offence, it's most likely to be dealt with in a criminal court.
However, you can also claim compensation from a civil court - even if a criminal conviction isn't upheld.
When trying someone on a criminal charge, the burden of proof is set very high, which means that getting a criminal conviction can sometimes be difficult.
A civil court - on the other hand - will award damages based on less stringent criteria, so you can seek damages and compensation for theft by filing a claim in the relevant civil court.
Usually, you won't need to sue the perpetrator of a criminal offence, because any damages will be awarded to you by a judge during a criminal case.
Suing someone without filing criminal charges against them may be less common, but is still legally-possible.
How to sue someone that's stolen from you
Suing someone for stealing will involve taking them to court and proving that they've committed a criminal act that has directly lead to financial loss or damages.
The process will vary from country to country, so often the best advice can be found on your local citizen's advice service website - and, because theft is a criminal offence, it's most likely to be dealt with in a criminal court.
However, you can also claim compensation from a civil court - even if a criminal conviction isn't upheld.
When trying someone on a criminal charge, the burden of proof is set very high, which means that getting a criminal conviction can sometimes be difficult.
A civil court - on the other hand - will award damages based on less stringent criteria, so you can seek damages and compensation for theft by filing a claim in the relevant civil court.
