San Dimas, California Civil Procedures

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Litigation Lawyers in San Dimas

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

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

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

Major San Dimas, California Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The first, and perhaps most important, part of filing a lawsuit in San Dimas, California is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in San Dimas, California 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). Normally, but not always, the end of the complaint will contain a "prayer for relief." The prayer for relief is simply 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 options 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. Sometimes, 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 the complaint and answer have been filed in a San Dimas, California court, the next major civil procedure issue comes up. Discovery is the process in which both sides of the lawsuit are required to disclose required evidence to one another. The lawyers for each side can submit written questions, which the other party is required to answer under oath, unless the information is privileged. Each side can also request any relevant documents, physical evidence, and can conduct depositions of witnesses and parties to the lawsuit.

Trial: In San Dimas, California, it's really extremely rare for civil lawsuits to go to trial. Of all the lawsuits that are filed, only a tiny minority make it to trial. The majority are either dismissed, or settled. This is by design: the civil procedure rules in San Dimas are specifically meant to encourage early resolution of legal disputes, without resorting to a costly and time-consuming trial. However, when a case does go to trial, it is for the purpose of a jury resolving all of the factual disputes between the parties. Each side will present evidence obtained through the discovery process, call witnesses, and make arguments on behalf of their position. Once the jury reaches a verdict (a finding of fact), the judge enters a judgment on the verdict.

How Can a San Dimas, California Lawyer Help?

If you're facing any considerable legal issue in San Dimas, California, you can be pretty much certain that you'll face at least a few procedural complications that can hold up the process.

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

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Life in San Dimas

San Dimas, California is a city in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County. It has a population of about 36,000 people, as of a 2004 Census estimate. San Dimas is a mostly-residential suburb of Los Angeles, and many people who live in San Dimas work in LA.

San Dimas, and much of what is now considered the greater Los Angeles area, was originally populated by the Tongva tribe of Native Americans. The first Europeans to explore and colonize the area were Spanish missionaries, who set up Mission San Gabriel in the 1700s.

When the Santa Fe railroad arrived in San Dimas in 1887, the natural mud springs of the area were mapped. During this time period, modern medicine was still in its infancy, and water available in the rapidly-growing cities of America was often polluted and unsafe to drink. This led to many small towns which had natural springs of drinkable water to market themselves as health resorts. San Dimas was one of those cities, and health tourism by wealthy visitors played a big role in the early development of its economy.

Modernly, San Dimas' economy is largely driven by the huge city of Los Angeles.

If you live in San Dimas, California, and need an attorney, you're in luck. Thanks to its presence in a major metropolitan area, and relatively affluent clientele, San Dimas, California lawyers are well-equipped to handle a wide range of legal problems. If you need legal services, a San Dimas, California lawyer is the person to call.

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