Filing a Lawsuit in New Haven, Connecticut

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Litigation Lawyers in New Haven

If you live in , Connecticut, and believe that you have sustained some form of legal wrong, you may wish to file a lawsuit against the individual who allegedly wronged you.

If you think that you may want to file a lawsuit, you should not make this decision easily, and there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account. Obviously, you should never go into a lawsuit without at least consulting a reliable New Haven, Connecticut civil litigation attorney.

When you contact a civil litigation lawyer in New Haven, Connecticut, they'll be able to give you some extremely useful advice, especially in devising a strategy that maximizes your chances of winning your lawsuit. You'll probably also wonder how much this lawsuit is going to cost you, especially if you don't win. This largely depends on the attorney's fee structure. If the attorney charges an hourly rate, you will simply have to pay the lawyer for every hour they work. This can add up to a huge amount of money, very rapidly. If they charge on a contingency basis, you do not have to pay any attorney's fees unless you win, and payment comes in the form of the percentage of the judgment. However, if you lose, you might still be responsible for costs, such as court fees, which are incurred no matter what happens to the case.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in New Haven, Connecticut

Consultation with your attorney: Before you proceed with any legal action in New Haven, Connecticut, you should seek the advice and counsel of a seasoned New Haven, Connecticut attorney. He or she will be indispensable in helping you succeed in your lawsuit.

Drafting The Complaint: In New Haven, Connecticut, the initial step to filing a lawsuit, once you've actually decided to do so (in consultation with your attorney), is writing a complaint. A complaint is simply a list of facts that you allege against the defendant. A court must look at these allegations and decide if they add up to a legitimate cause of action, assuming they're true. If they do not add up to a cause of action, the case may be dismissed. The complaint also normally ask the court to provide specific relief, should it rule in the plaintiff's favor.

Serving the Defendant: When you have determined that you want to file a lawsuit in New Haven, Connecticut, and have drafted the complaint, your next important step is to file the complaint with the court, and serve it on the defendant. The defendant must be given at least several weeks' notice that they're being sued, and as much time to review the complaint. This is a matter of general fairness and due process, and allows the defendant to hire a lawyer and get to work on a defense. The law requires that the defendant be served in a few certain ways. The initial choice is to give it to them in person. This has to be done by a person who does not have any direct involvement in the lawsuit. If that isn't possible, the defendant can be served by giving the complaint to another adult member of their household; this is called substituted service.

Await Defendant's Response: In New Haven, Connecticut, the law gives civil defendants a fairly long period of time (a month or two normally) to respond to a lawsuit against them. The most frequent response is either an answer (where they address the factual allegations against them, normally denying most or all of the allegations) or a motion to dismiss (where the contend that, even if everything alleged in the complaint is true, those facts would not establish liability). If the defendant does nothing, and fails to respond, they run the risk of having a default judgment entered against them. This normally means that the court automatically rules against them, treating the plaintiff as if they won the lawsuit. This gives the plaintiff a judgment against the defendant, which they can seek to collect using all legal means.

How Can A New Haven, Connecticut Tort Lawyer Help?

As you can see, it can be a complex and difficult process to file a lawsuit in New Haven, Connecticut, and it is, in fact, much more complex than the basic outline you just read.

Thus, if you want to file a lawsuit against someone in New Haven, Connecticut, you should not delay to talk with an attorney, who will be able to advise you on the best way to proceed.

Talk to a Law Attorney now!

Life in New Haven

New Haven, Connecticut is located in New Haven County. With a population of over 129,000, it is the second largest city in Connecticut. New Haven is known for being home to Yale University, an Ivy League school. The city has been nicknamed "The City of Elms" due to its extensive canopy of trees.

Aside from Yale University, New Haven's economy is driven by health care facilities, financial companies, retail, and professional services (legal and engineering). The downtown New Haven area has been described as an "upscale downtown", as it is more residential in character than most typical downtowns. In particular, the New Haven Green community has been revitalized to include condominiums and apartment complexes. The downtown area also has many retail stores and restaurants, making it an ideal scene for the nightlife.

In addition to its highly intellectual and political culture, New Haven offers some of the nation's best cuisines. A popular local favorite is New Haven pizza, called "apizza", which comes in several variations. Downtown has been recognized as serving the country's "finest Spanish food". New Haven has also served as home for several presidents, Bill Clinton, William Howard Taft, Gerald Ford, and the Bush family.

New Haven, Connecticut lawyers offer services to meet the city's unique legal needs. Lawyers in New Haven practice law in many fields and are familiar with the laws of Connecticut. New Haven County operates its own local bar association apart from the state Connecticut Bar Association.

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