The courts
preponderance of the evidence
The usual civil standard: more likely true than not, anything past a bare fifty percent. Far lower than the criminal standard.
In full
A civil plaintiff wins by tipping the scale slightly. A middle standard, clear and convincing evidence, applies where more is at stake than money, such as terminating parental rights or proving fraud. The difference between standards explains how the same conduct can lose a civil case and still not support a criminal conviction.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.