Litigation Lawyers in Spartanburg County

If you are a resident of Spartanburg County, South Carolina and believe that somebody has committed a legal wrong against you, and have determined that the effort and expense involved in seeking payment is worth it, you may consider filing a lawsuit.

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 qualified Spartanburg County, South Carolina civil litigation attorney.

Your Spartanburg County, South 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 Spartanburg County, South Carolina

Consultation with your attorney: Before you file a lawsuit in a Spartanburg County, South Carolina court, you need to meet and confer with a local lawyer. You lawyer in Spartanburg County, South Carolina can advise you on whether or not your lawsuit has merit, and how possible it is to prevail.

Drafting The Complaint: Once you determine that pursuing a lawsuit in Spartanburg County, South Carolina civil court is worth your time and effort, you need to file a complaint. The complaint can set the tone, and frame the issues, for the rest of the litigation procedure, which can drag on for months, or even years (and decades, in some cases). This is because the complaint lays out all the allegations against the defendant. It also usually asks the court for particular relief, should it rule in the plaintiff's favor.

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. Spartanburg County, South 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 Defendant's Response: In Spartanburg County, South Carolina, the law gives civil defendants a fairly long period of time (a month or two usually) to respond to a lawsuit against them. The most common response is either an answer (where they address the factual allegations against them, usually 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 usually 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 Spartanburg County, South Carolina Tort Lawyer Help?

The basic outline above does not come close to covering all the specifics involved in filing a lawsuit in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

Therefore, it's always a good idea to talk with a Spartanburg County, South Carolina litigation attorney if you are contemplating filing a lawsuit against a person or company.