3 Things You Should Know About Civil Litigation

Being involved in a lawsuit can be a scary and emotional time for you to endure. The key to getting through this challenging situation is by being as prepared as possible. Regardless if you are the plaintiff or defendant, there are varying stages of civil litigation you should be fully aware of while in the midst of it. Taking the time to learn some basics about this legal process is sure to be beneficial to you.

The response

Once the legal action has been filed and served on the defendant, it will be necessary for a response to given. This must be done before the legal process can continue.

The answers that are provided should address all the allegations that have been made against the defendant. It's necessary for youto either admit or deny all the charges that have been filed and this individual has a certain amount of time to do so.

The discovery stage

The time to prove your case is during the discovery stage. This will allow you to enter the necessary documents into the court that will enable you to do so.

Listed below are the various stages of discovery:

1.    Written interrogatories – This is a set of questions about the case that must be answered by both parties.

2.    The deposition – It may be necessary for you to meet with your opponent's attorney and answer a series of inquiries under oath.

3.    Request for admissions – You will be served specific statements about the incident that must be admitted or denied.

4.    Requests for production documents – The time to provide official documents to help solidify your case is during this part of it.

The mediation

Courts are busy these days, and you will be asked to work with your opponent to settle your case outside of the courtroom at mediation. There will be a mediator that's present to negotiate a settlement agreement between the two parties.

If the mediation isn't successful, you will proceed to court where the case will be tried by a judge or a jury.

Dealing with civil litigation will take time and a great deal of patience. It's in your best interest to know as much as possible to assist you with resolving the dispute in the shortest amount of time. This can be facilitated by meeting with a personal injury attorney like Dunnigan & Messier P.C. to legally advise you.


Share