What is a cause of action in law?

• A. A court-ordered punishment.
• B. An attorneys fee arrangement.
• C. A set of facts sufficient to justify a right to sue to obtain money, property, or enforcement of a right.
• D. A type of criminal offense.

Answer: (C)

A cause of action is the legal basis for filing a civil lawsuit. It consists of the facts and the legal theory that, if proven, would give a person the right to sue to obtain money, property, or to enforce a right. This concept sits in civil law, where the remedy sought is typically monetary damages or some form of relief, not punishment. The other options describe things outside the realm of a civil claim: court-ordered punishment is a sanction imposed in criminal or regulatory proceedings; an attorney’s fee arrangement is simply a contract for legal services; and a criminal offense is a crime against the state, not a private right to sue. Thus, the description that matches a cause of action is the set of facts and the legal theory that justify a right to sue for money, property, or enforcement of a right.