{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/civil-litigation","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/civil-litigation","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"civil-litigation","term":"Civil Litigation","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"This refers to lawsuits between private parties, often concerning contract disputes or personal injury. Past or ongoing civil litigation against you or the business can impact loan eligibility or reveal hidden risks.","what_it_means":"The SBA Form 1919 requires disclosure of any past or present civil litigation against you or the business. Significant or unresolved lawsuits can be an automatic disqualifier or raise red flags for the lender, indicating potential financial instability or character concerns. Thorough due diligence includes reviewing the business's litigation history.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/civil-litigation","official_sources":[{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"},{"slug":"sba-form-1919","title":"SBA Form 1919 — Borrower Information Form","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sba-form-1919-borrower-information-form","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":4,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sba-form-1919"}],"related":[{"slug":"due-diligence","term":"Due diligence","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/due-diligence"},{"slug":"automatic-disqualifier","term":"Automatic Disqualifier","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/automatic-disqualifier"},{"slug":"personal-judgment","term":"Personal judgment","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/personal-judgment"},{"slug":"derogatory-mark","term":"Derogatory mark","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/derogatory-mark"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"How do past civil litigation or judgments impact my SBA 7(a) loan approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-do-past-civil-litigation-or-judgments-impact-my-sba-7-a-loan-approval"},{"question":"What if the business I'm acquiring has existing litigation or legal disputes?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-business-i-m-acquiring-has-existing-litigation-or-legal-disputes"},{"question":"What if the business I'm buying has existing legal disputes or pending litigation?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-business-i-m-buying-has-existing-legal-disputes-or-pending-litigation"},{"question":"What if the business I want to buy has pending litigation or unresolved legal claims?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-business-i-want-to-buy-has-pending-litigation-or-unresolved-legal-claims"},{"question":"Does a pending civil lawsuit against me personally affect SBA 7(a) loan approval?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/does-a-pending-civil-lawsuit-against-me-personally-affect-sba-7-a-loan-approval"},{"question":"Does having a recent civil judgment against me affect my SBA 7(a) loan eligibility?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/does-having-a-recent-civil-judgment-against-me-affect-my-sba-7-a-loan-eligibility"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Civil Litigation","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/civil-litigation","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}