What is Statute of limitations?
[[File:Eo-scale2.png|thumb|right|200px]] '''Statutes of limitations''' are [[law]]s passed by a [[Legislature|legislative body]] in [[common law]] systems that set the maximum time after an event when [[Legal case|a lawsuit]] may be filed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statute of Limitations|url=http://www.courts.ca.gov/9618.htm|website=California Court Judicial Branch|publisher=Public Access Records|access-date=6 June 2014|ref=California Code of Civil Procedure sections 312–366}}</ref> In [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] systems, similar provisions are typically part of their [[civil law|civil]] or [[criminal law|criminal code]]s and known collectively as ''periods of prescription''. When the period of time specified in a statute of limitations passes, the statute of limitations provides an absolute defense to the [[Cause of action|legal claim]]. The intention of these laws is to make sure [[legal case]]s are brought to [[trial]] in a [[wikt:reasonable|reasonable]] length of time.<ref>{{cite web|last1=California Courts|first1=Judicial Council|title=Public Access Records|url=http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-start.htm|website=California Courts|publisher=Rewriting Amendments|access-date=6 June 2014}}</ref> A statute of limitations restricts when a case may be filed, but is not a [[deadline]] for the completion of a case. If a case is filed during the period specified in the statute of limitations, the case may be heard and decided by the court even after that period expires.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Larson|first1=Aaron|title=Statute of Limitations by State for Civil Cases|url=https://www.expertlaw.com/library/limitations_by_state/index.html|website=ExpertLaw|access-date=4 August 2017|archive-date=5 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905053731/https://www.expertlaw.com/library/limitations_by_state/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ==Civil lawsuits== The statute of limitations is determined by the [[cause of action]], and different causes of action may have different limitations period even wit