Civil litigation involves any legal matter that is resolved in a court of law. These cases usually lead to a court where the Judge declares a trial to decide the outcome. However, these kinds of cases do not involve criminal accusations.
Most of the legal cases handled fall under civil litigation. An example of civil litigation cases includes a disagreement between a landlord and a tenant that eventually led to court. Here are some common types of civil litigation cases:
- Medical malpractice case
- Personal injury cases
- Education law disputes
- Employment or labor disputes
Those mentioned above have a certain feature in common which is their non-involvement in criminal charges. They usually stem from property and or money disagreements. Although, this is not always the case, as some of them might want action from the other side and take it to court.
Common Steps Which a Civil Case Has to Follow
Before you decide to pursue a civil litigation case against someone, you should contact a capable lawyer at GPS Law Group. The attorney first analyses the situation and advises you on the best solution to tackle it (if it is worth taking it to court) and the most suitable process to start building the case.
- Investigation: This is the first step to a civil litigation case. Your attorney hires a private investigator that digs into the depths of the case and gathers more evidence for your case.
- Pleadings: Both parties sign file pleadings, which serve as court documents explaining their side of the story. The plaintiff’s pleading is called the complaint, and it says the crimes of the defendant and their preferred outcome of the case. It is then delivered to the defendant.
- Answer: After the defendant is served the complaint, they can create an answer to that complaint. This answer includes the response to the accusations laid or permits the defendant to ask for a clearer clarification on the case.
- Discovery: This is the stage when the court has received both pleadings from both parties. Here, comprehensive legal research, interviewing of the witnesses, etc., is done. Investigators or attorneys may ask for specific documents concerning the case during the discovery phase. It is seen as the engaging step in civil litigation where the attorney takes all their time.
- Pre-trial: This is the next step after discovery. Your attorney and the attorney of the other party come together to make negotiations. There are cases where they come up with agreeable settlements to save you from a lot of trouble, and the case is closed. The pre-trial stage is where either party use motion to ask the court for a ruling or take out some parts of the case before trial.
- Trial: In a case where no agreement is made in the pre-trial, it leads to trial. The trial is where the Judge and the jury decide the verdict. It doesn’t always involve a jury, depending on the nature of the case.
Contact Our Office Today!
Whatever the case might be, you need an experienced lawyer to handle it on your behalf. Speak with a qualified lawyer at GPS Law Group at 704-741-9957. Our office serves residents and families in Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord, Huntersville, and surrounding communities in Mecklenburg County, Rowan County, Cabarrus County, Iredell County, and Gaston County, North Carolina.