Defamation that causes long-term damage, particularly if it affects your career, social standing, or personal life, will result in higher damages than something short-term that might be forgotten within a year. The more severe and lasting the harm, the greater the compensation.
Spoken defamation is called "slander." Defamation that's written, published, or posted online is called "libel." To start a defamation lawsuit: (1) decide if you have a claim, (2) calculate your damages, (3) gather evidence, (4) speak to a lawyer, and (5) file your case.
It's possible for someone outside the UK to sue someone in the UK if the conduct occurred in the UK. In the online sphere, if you are based in the UK and signed up to UK T&Cs for the platform you were using, there would be jurisdiction to sue you in the UK. However, truth and honest opinion are defences to defamation.
In Florida, plaintiffs in defamation cases must generally prove that they suffered actual damages as a result of the defamatory statement. These damages could include loss of business or income, damage to professional reputation, emotional distress, or out-of-pocket expenses incurred to mitigate the damage.
In order to have a claim against your opponent as a result of their defamation of your character, you have to be able to prove that their statement has caused you serious harm. This means that that harm caused to you cannot be trivial, and each case will be decided on its own facts.
To prove defamation, a plaintiff generally must show: • A false statement purporting to be fact; • Publication or communication of that statement to a third person; • Fault amounting to at least negligence; and • Damages – that is, some harm caused to the plaintiff's reputation.
Injury. To succeed in a defamation lawsuit, the plaintiff must show the statement to have caused injury to the subject of the statement. This means that the statement must have hurt the reputation of the subject of the statement.
Stat. § 768.73(1)(a) (2025).) Because defamation per se causes obvious reputational harm, in some cases Florida law might award you "presumed" damages. Presumed damages typically are nominal—$1 or $100, for instance—and can be awarded even if you can't prove any economic or noneconomic losses.
To prove defamation, a plaintiff generally must show: • A false statement purporting to be fact; • Publication or communication of that statement to a third person; • Fault amounting to at least negligence; and • Damages – that is, some harm caused to the plaintiff's reputation.