What does "litigation" refer to in legal terminology?

Litigation refers specifically to the process of taking legal action or resolving disputes in court. This term encompasses several stages, including filing a lawsuit, pre-trial activities, trial proceedings, and potentially appeals. The essence of litigation lies in the formal legal process where parties present their cases to a judge or jury, who then decide based on the evidence and arguments presented.

In contrast, negotiating a contract involves discussions and agreements between parties outside of a court setting and does not constitute litigation. The official authority of courts to decide cases is known as jurisdiction, which is a separate concept from the act of litigation itself. Lastly, a type of legal consultation would relate to advisors providing legal opinions or guidance, not the process of engaging in court proceedings. Therefore, the correct understanding of "litigation" is clearly aligned with the active process of resolving disputes through the court system.