Civil litigation entails matters or disputes between two or more people of a non-criminal manner. Not all civil disputes require litigation; in fact over 90% of cases are able to settle prior to trial. A federal civil case involves a legal dispute between two or more parties. A civil action begins when a party to a dispute files a complaint, and pays a filing fee required by statute. A plaintiff who is unable to pay the fee may file a request to proceed in forma pauperis.