Litigation Lawyers in Kenmore

In Kenmore, Washington, civil procedure is exactly what it sounds like: it refers to the laws that control how civil litigation is done.

The rules of civil procedure in Kenmore, Washington are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, inexpensive, simple, and fair as possible.

In Kenmore, Washington, civil litigation is frequently extremely perplexing. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that the rules of civil procedure can also be fairly perplexing. After all, they govern everything from the first document filed by the plaintiff, to the last ruling issued by an appeals court.

Major Kenmore, Washington Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The initial, and perhaps most significant, part of filing a lawsuit in Kenmore, Washington is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Kenmore, Washington that's responsible for handling civil trials. It lists everything that the plaintiff (the person who is suing) alleges against the defendant (the person the plaintiff is suing). Usually, but not always, the end of the complaint will contain a "prayer for relief." The prayer for relief is just a statement of what the plaintiff is asking the court to do to remedy the harm that the defendant allegedly caused.

Answer: After the plaintiff files the complaint, the defendant has to act. While they have a few avenues at this stage of the game, most defendants elect to file an answer. The answer is the defendant's first direct response to the plaintiff's allegations. Occasionally, the answer contains a general denial, in which the defendant simply denies everything the plaintiff alleges. It might also contain a point-by-point addressing of every allegation the plaintiff makes, denying some, and admitting some.

Discovery: After the complaint has been filed in the Kenmore, Washington court of competent jurisdiction, the next important phase is the discovery process. In a civil lawsuit, there are not supposed to be any surprises (so the dramatic moments you see in TV trials are largely fiction). This predictability largely comes from the discovery process. Each side of the lawsuit has to disclose information relevant to the lawsuit to the other. This information can be obtained by sending the other side written questions, which must be answered under oath, demanding access to documents, and deposing witnesses.

Trial: It's quite rare for lawsuits in Kenmore, Washington to go to trial. Kenmore's civil procedure rules actually discourage trials, and instead have designed the system so that it's almost always more cost-effective to settle out of court. Nonetheless, if this is not possible, the matter will go to trial, where a judge and/or jury will decide the factual questions, and then award the appropriate relief (if any) to the prevailing party.

How Can a Kenmore, Washington Lawyer Help?

If you are dealing with a lawsuit in Kenmore, Washington, it's almost given that you will have to deal with issues regarding civil procedure.

It should go without saying that you should have a Kenmore, Washington attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost sure to face, if you're involved in a lawsuit.