Litigation Lawyers in Sarasota
If you live in , Florida, and believe that you have suffered some type of legal wrong, you may wish to file a lawsuit against the person who allegedly wronged you.
If you think that filing a lawsuit is a good option in seeking redress, you should not rush into this decision. A lawsuit is a time-consuming and expensive process. You should not make a final decision without speaking to a Sarasota, Florida attorney.
Once you contact a Sarasota, Florida litigation attorney, he or she will be able to advise you on your chances of succeeding in your lawsuit. Moreover, your lawyer can inform you on what a lawsuit is likely to cost, both in time and money. Obviously, your lawyer has some control over what it will cost you, based on their fees, and whether they bill an hourly rate, or charge on a contingency rate.
Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Sarasota, Florida
Consultation with your attorney: Before you file a lawsuit in a Sarasota, Florida court, you need to meet and confer with a local lawyer. You lawyer in Sarasota, Florida can advise you on whether or not your lawsuit has merit, and how likely it is to succeed.
Drafting The Complaint: Once you decide that pursuing a lawsuit in Sarasota, Florida 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 process, 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 typically asks the court for specific relief, should it rule in the plaintiff's favor.
Serving The Defendant: After you draft your complaint, and file it with the court, you have to let the defendant know that they're being sued. The law of Sarasota, Florida requires that the defendant be given advance notice of the lawsuit as a matter of basic fairness: if you were being sued, you'd want to be given time to find a lawyer and prepare your defense strategy, right? So, with that in mind, the law prefers that defendants be served personally, usually through the use of a paid process server.
Await The Response: The defendant has a given amount of time to respond to your lawsuit, once they confirm that they've been served in Sarasota, Florida. The defendant will probably respond with an answer to your complaint. An answer is a document in which the defendant admits or denies the specific factual allegations made by the plaintiff. Normally, the defendant will admit the allegations that are not seriously in dispute (for example, if the lawsuit concerns a car accident, they'll probably admit that an accident did, in fact, take place), but deny the more serious allegations (they'll probably deny that they were responsible for the accident). If the defendant fails to respond within a predetermined period of time, they are in "default," and basically lose the case automatically.
How Can A Sarasota, Florida Tort Lawyer Help?
As you can see, it can be an intricate and difficult process to file a lawsuit in Sarasota, Florida, and it is, in fact, much more intricate than the basic outline you just read.
If you have suffered a legal wrong in and decide to sue the person who you believed wronged you, you should speak with a qualified Sarasota, Florida attorney.
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An excellent Attorney with a keen legal mind. He is attentive, responsive and his fees very reasonable!
I understand many lawyers are very busy, But Howard Bender, busy as he is, responded quickly and professionally. My impression is he is a man of his word.
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