Prevention is better than cure.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) The law favors preventive remedies — injunctions and restraining orders — over after-the-fact damages, because preventing harm is superior to compensating for it.

Where this applies

• A court issues a restraining order against a stalker before he can harm his victim, rather than waiting until an assault actually happens.
• A city inspector shuts down a building with a crumbling foundation before it collapses on tenants rather than letting them sue for injuries afterward.
• A judge grants an injunction stopping a factory from dumping chemicals into a river instead of waiting for downstream residents to get sick and file lawsuits.