Litigation Lawyers in Tyrone

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

Tyrone, Georgia's government strives to make the civil justice system fair, efficient, and accessible. The rules of civil procedure are designed to promote those goals, to the greatest extent possible.

The rules of civil procedure in Tyrone, Georgia are sometimes perplexing. Because civil litigation is an inherently complex process, the rules that govern how it proceeds can't be simple, either. They govern every step of the litigation process, from filing the initial complaint, all the way to the final appeals process.

Major Tyrone, Georgia Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: Perhaps the most significant part of filing a lawsuit in Tyrone, Georgia is the complaint. The complaint is a document filed with a Tyrone, Georgia 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: The answer is usually the first document that the defendant files, and it is meant to serve as a direct response to the plaintiff's complaint. It usually 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: Once the initial documents have been filed by both parties in the proper Tyrone, Georgia court, the discovery process begins. "Discovery" refers to a wide range of disclosures that each side of the lawsuit must make to the other. Basically, everyone involved in the lawsuit has to disclose every piece of information in their possession (with some exceptions) that's relevant to the factual issues in the case. There are a few different methods that are employed in this procedure: each side can send written questions to the other, which must be answered under oath. They can also request documents, as well as access to physical evidence. They can also conduct depositions (in-person Q&A sessions) of parties and witnesses.

Trial: It is actually quite rare for civil lawsuits in Tyrone, Georgia to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Tyrone 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 Tyrone, Georgia Lawyer Help?

If you're facing any significant legal issue in Tyrone, 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 Tyrone, Georgia attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost sure to face, if you're involved in a lawsuit.