Rule 2 Civil Action.

Here's a plain English summary:

When the family court handles a case that only it has the authority to decide (called "exclusive, original jurisdiction"), that case is treated as a "civil action" under these rules. This applies to most matters like divorce, child custody, and other family law issues.

The one big exception is criminal cases against adults. If an adult is charged with a crime, that case does not count as a civil action, even if it goes through family court. This distinction matters because civil actions and criminal cases follow different procedures and protections.

In short, this rule sets up a basic category system. It tells everyone involved, including judges, lawyers, and people in a case, whether the rules for civil cases will apply to their situation.