Litigation Lawyers in La Fayette

In La Fayette, Georgia, "civil procedure" refers to the varied processes and procedures that must be followed when conducting a civil lawsuit.

Like all laws, the rules of civil procedure in La Fayette, Georgia reflect specific values that society, through its elected representatives, wants to advocate. 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 in La Fayette, Georgia is almost never a simple process. So, the rules controlling this process can't always be simple, either. Remember, civil procedure governs every single step of the civil litigation process, which can drag on for years.

Major La Fayette, Georgia Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The initial, and perhaps most significant, part of filing a lawsuit in La Fayette, Georgia is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in La Fayette, Georgia 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). Typically, 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: The answer is typically the first document that the defendant files, and it is meant to serve as a direct response to the plaintiff's complaint. It typically denies all of the plaintiff's major allegations. It might also lay out affirmative defenses. An "affirmative defense" is a set of reasons that negate the defendant's liability even if their conduct would ordinarily be unlawful. For example, in a lawsuit for battery, a defendant might admit that he struck the plaintiff, but claim that he acted in self-defense. If that can be shown, it would negate, or mitigate, his liability to the plaintiff.

Discovery: The civil procedure rules in La Fayette, Georgia were written with the purpose of, among other things, preventing surprises. For that reason, everyone engaged 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: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in La Fayette, Georgia, it is truly very rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in La Fayette 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 La Fayette, Georgia Lawyer Help?

If you're facing any substantial legal issue in La Fayette, Georgia, you can be pretty much sure 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 La Fayette, Georgia attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost sure to face, if you're engaged in a lawsuit.