Filing a Lawsuit in Winston Salem, North Carolina

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Litigation Lawyers in Winston Salem

If you are in Winston Salem, North Carolina and believe that some form of legal wrong has been committed against you, and determine that seeking legal redress will be worth the time and expense involved, you may wish to file a lawsuit.

If you're contemplating filing a lawsuit, there are various things you need to consider, and it is not a decision to be made lightly. You should not file a lawsuit without seeking the advice of a Winston Salem, North Carolina civil litigation attorney first.

Your Winston Salem, North Carolina civil litigation attorney will be able to advise you on whether or not you have a legitimate case, and, if so, your best avenues on how to proceed. The attorney will also discuss with you the fees for their services, and whether he or she can represent you on a contingency basis.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Winston Salem, North Carolina

Consultation with your attorney: Before you continue in any legal action in Winston Salem, North Carolina, you should speak with a reputable local attorney in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Your legal counsel can make sure you have the best possible chance of winning your case, and help you decide if you should file your lawsuit in the first place.

Drafting a Complaint: Once you have decided to go through with filing a lawsuit in a Winston Salem, North Carolina court, you need to draft a complaint, with the help of your lawyer. A complaint is usually the initial step in actually filing a lawsuit. The complaint is the plaintiff's first opportunity to lay out the allegations against the defendant. If a complaint doesn't allege facts that add up to a legitimate lawsuit (that is, even if everything alleged in the complaint is true, the defendant has still not committed a legal wrong that the court can compensate), the case will have to be dismissed. When a case is dismissed for this reason, the court usually gives the plaintiff a chance to re-submit the complaint, with the errors corrected.

Serving The Defendant: Once you, or your lawyer, have drafted a complaint, the defendant must be served with it, so they have notice that they're being sued, and are given time to prepare a defense. Winston Salem, North Carolina has specific rules governing how a complaint must be served, for the service to be valid. Personal service (having someone give the documents directly to the defendant) is preferred. However, some courts will also accept service by mail in limited circumstances, or service upon an adult member of the defendant's household.

Await The Response: The defendant has a certain amount of time to respond to your lawsuit, once they confirm that they've been served in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The defendant will likely respond with an answer to your complaint. An answer is a document in which the defendant admits or denies the specific factual allegations made by the plaintiff. Typically, the defendant will admit the allegations that are not seriously in dispute (for instance, if the lawsuit concerns a car accident, they'll probably admit that an accident did, in fact, take place), but deny the more serious allegations (they'll probably deny that they were responsible for the accident). If the defendant fails to respond within a set period of time, they are in "default," and basically lose the case automatically.

How Can A Winston Salem, North Carolina Tort Lawyer Help?

This simple outline is meant to give you a basic idea of what goes into filing a lawsuit in Winston Salem, North Carolina, but it is by no means a comprehensive guide.

Thus, it is critical that you consult a qualified civil litigation attorney before you file any type of lawsuit in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

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Life in Winston Salem

Winston-Salem is the largest city in the State of North Carolina and the seat of Forsyth County. It's likely you know Winston-Salem for it's historic role in the tobacco trade. It's been nicknamed "Camel City" in reference to tobacco, "City of the Arts" for the commitment to fine arts and theater, and called simply "The Dash" by many locals.

Winston-Salem offers the Reynolda House Museum of American Art. The Reynolda House was built by Katharine Smith and R.J. Reynolds in 1917 and was recently restored with help from the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

Additionally, Winston-Salem offers the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) for visitors who flock to town for Nationally recognized festivals like the National Black Theatre Festival, RiverRun International Film Festival, and the Reynolda Film Festival started by local Wake Forest students in 2007.

A number of Winston-Salem residents are drawn to the city because there are many outstanding schools. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Salem College, Piedmont Baptist College, Winston-Salem Bible College, and Forsyth Technical Community College are all located within city limits.

As the seat of Forsyth County, Winston-Salem is responsible for playing host to a bevy of government facilities including legislative and legal facilities. Forsyth County Courts are located in Winston-Salem, along with city courts, which are responsible for handling most cases that arise in the area including personal injury lawsuit, wrongful termination, divorce, and criminal cases.

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