Definitions for "Civil procedure"
The rules and process by which a civil case is tried and appealed, including the preparations for trial, the rules of evidence and trial conduct, and the procedure for pursuing appeals.
The rules used to handle a civil case from the time the initial complaint is filed through pretrial discovery, the trial itself and any subsequent appeal. Each state adopts its own rules of civil procedure ( often set out in a separate Code of Civil Procedure), but many are influenced by or modeled on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (www.nolo.com/lawcenter/dictionary/wordindex.cfm)
The rules of practice required in a civil case.
The body of law that regulates the methods and practices of civil litigation.