Litigation Lawyers in Delaware County

If you are a resident of Delaware County, Pennsylvania and believe that somebody has committed a legal wrong against you, and have decided that the effort and expense involved in seeking compensation is worth it, you may consider filing a lawsuit.

If you wish to file a lawsuit, there are several things you need to consider, and the decision to sue someone should not be made without the counsel of a Delaware County, Pennsylvania civil litigation attorney.

When you retain a civil litigation lawyer in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, they'll be able to give you some very useful advice, particularly 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 quickly. 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 Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Consultation with your attorney: Before you proceed with any legal action in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, you should seek the advice and counsel of a good Delaware County, Pennsylvania attorney. He or she will be indispensable in helping you succeed in your lawsuit.

Drafting The Complaint: In Delaware County, Pennsylvania, the first step in filing a lawsuit is drafting a complaint. The complaint is a document that lays out all of your allegations against the person you're suing. It generally provides necessary background information, details the injuries you suffered, and why the person you're suing is to blame for those injuries. It also usually contains a specific "prayer" (request) for relief - a brief statement telling the court what the plaintiff is asking of it, such as monetary damages, and injunction, or other relief.

Serving the Defendant: When you have decided that you want to file a lawsuit in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and have drafted the complaint, your next major 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 basic 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 specific ways. The first 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 The Response: The defendant has a certain amount of time to respond to your lawsuit, once they confirm that they've been served in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The defendant will probably 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 example, 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 Delaware County, Pennsylvania Tort Lawyer Help?

As you can see, it can be a complicated and difficult process to file a lawsuit in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and it is, in fact, much more complicated than the basic outline you just read.

Therefore, if you want to file a lawsuit against someone in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, you should not hesitate to speak with an attorney, who will be able to advise you on the best way to proceed.