Litigation Lawyers in Spencer

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

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

Civil litigation, however, is inherently difficult. So, there is no getting around the fact that the civil procedure rules in Spencer, Iowa are also going to be somewhat convoluted 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 Spencer, Iowa Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The first, and perhaps most important, part of filing a lawsuit in Spencer, Iowa is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Spencer, Iowa 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: After the complaint has been filed in the Spencer, Iowa court of competent jurisdiction, the next major phase is the discovery process. In a civil lawsuit, there are not supposed to be any surprises (so the dramatic moments you see in TV trials are largely fiction). This predictability largely comes from the discovery process. Each side of the lawsuit has to disclose information relevant to the lawsuit to the other. This information can be received by sending the other side written questions, which must be answered under oath, demanding access to documents, and deposing witnesses.

Trial: It is really quite rare for civil lawsuits in Spencer, Iowa to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Spencer strongly encourage early resolution to cases by dismissal of lawsuits that have no merit, and negotiated settlement of those that do. However, when neither of those things happen, the case goes to trial. This is when a judge and jury decide 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 Spencer, Iowa Lawyer Help?

If you're facing any considerable legal issue in Spencer, Iowa, 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 Spencer, Iowa attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost certain to face, if you're immersed in a lawsuit.