Litigation Lawyers in Palos Verdes Estates

In Palos Verdes Estates, California, "civil procedure" refers to the different processes and procedures that must be followed when conducting a civil lawsuit.

The civil procedure rules in Palos Verdes Estates, California are designed around a few simple goals for the civil litigation system: efficiency, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and, most especially, fairness.

In Palos Verdes Estates, California, civil litigation is usually extremely difficult. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that the rules of civil procedure can also be fairly intricate. After all, they govern everything from the first document filed by the plaintiff, to the last ruling issued by an appeals court.

Major Palos Verdes Estates, California Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: Perhaps the most significant part of filing a lawsuit in Palos Verdes Estates, California is the complaint. The complaint is a document filed with a Palos Verdes Estates, California court that lays out the plaintiff's (the individual filing the suit) allegations against the defendant (the individual being sued), as well as the relief that the plaintiff is seeking from the court.

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: Once both sides have fired their opening volleys in the form of the complaint and answer, the next procedure in civil litigation in Palos Verdes Estates, California is discovery. Under the civil procedure rules of most jurisdictions in the U.S., each side of a lawsuit is obligated by law to disclose relevant information to the other side. These disclosures come in the form of depositions, the production of documents, and answers to written questions submitted by opposing counsel.

Trial: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in Palos Verdes Estates, California, it is really very rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Palos Verdes Estates is designed to encourage early settlement of cases, or dismissal of cases that don't have any legal or factual merit. Nonetheless, in the rare cases when the case is not dismissed, and the parties can't reach a settlement, the matter will go to trial. A trial is the most visible aspect of civil litigation, and it is the stage when all of the legal and factual questions raised by both parties are resolved by a judge and jury, respectively.

How Can a Palos Verdes Estates, California Lawyer Help?

If you are facing a legal issue of any sort in Palos Verdes Estates, California, you are going to face civil procedure issues.

It should go without saying that you should have a Palos Verdes Estates, California attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost sure to face, if you're immersed in a lawsuit.