Describe the five major areas of civil law.

The five major areas of civil law are tort, contract, property, domestic relations, and inheritance/probate. Tort law involves the legal wrong done to another person. Tort injuries include any wrong, hurt, or damage done to a person's rights, body, reputation, or property. Contracts are agreements between two or more persons involving a promise supported by mutual obligations. Property law regulates three types of property: real, personal and intellectual. Domestic relations law involves divorce and related issues such as child custody, child support, and alimony. Property received from a person who has died is governed by laws on inheritance. When someone dies without a will, the civil law of intestacy determines how possessions should be distributed by a court in probate proceedings.