Litigation Lawyers in Panama Beach

In Panama Beach, Florida, "civil procedure" refers to the different processes and procedures that must be followed when conducting a civil lawsuit.

Like all laws, the rules of civil procedure in Panama Beach, Florida reflect particular values that society, through its elected representatives, wants to encourage. So, the rules of civil procedure have the stated goal of ensuring that the justice system is fair, cost effective, efficient, and accessible to everyone who has a legitimate legal grievance.

Civil litigation, however, is inherently intricate. So, there is no getting around the fact that the civil procedure rules in Panama Beach, Florida are also going to be somewhat difficult and obtuse (or at least parts of them are). Remember, these rules govern every single thing that happens in a civil lawsuit, from the first complaint, to the last appeal.

Major Panama Beach, Florida Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The initial, and perhaps most significant, part of filing a lawsuit in Panama Beach, Florida is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Panama Beach, Florida 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 just a statement of what the plaintiff is asking the court to do to remedy the harm that the defendant allegedly caused.

Answer: Once the complaint is filed, the ball is in the defendant's court, so to speak. In the answer, the defendant has an chance to respond to all of the factual allegations made by the plaintiff, normally by denying them. The defendant might also raise affirmative defenses, which could keep the defendant from being held liable. For instance, if the defendant is accused of battery, and he did, in fact, batter the plaintiff, he might admit to that fact, but claim that the plaintiff was the aggressor, and he acted purely in self-defense. If he can show that he acted in self-defense, he likely will not be held liable.

Discovery: The civil procedure rules in Panama Beach, Florida were written with the purpose of, among other things, preventing surprises. For that reason, everyone immersed in a lawsuit goes into trial with a pretty good idea of what evidence the other side has. This is largely because of the discovery procedure, during which the attorneys for both sides are obligated to disclose (with some exemptions) all information relevant to the trial which they have in their possession. These disclosures come in several forms, such as simply sending boxes of documents, deposing witnesses, or submitting written questions to the other side, which the recipient is obligated to answer under oath.

Trial: It is really quite rare for civil lawsuits in Panama Beach, Florida to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Panama Beach highly encourage early resolution to cases by dismissal of lawsuits that have no merit, and negotiated settlement of those that do. Nonetheless, when neither of those things happen, the case goes to trial. This is when a judge and jury determine the questions of law and fact, respectively, raised in the case. The jury then issues a verdict, based on the evidence presented to them.

How Can a Panama Beach, Florida Lawyer Help?

If you're facing a lawsuit in Panama Beach, Florida whether as the plaintiff or defendant, you will have to interact with your jurisdiction's civil procedure rules.

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