Litigation Lawyers in Storm Lake

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

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

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

Complaint: The first, and perhaps most important, part of filing a lawsuit in Storm Lake, Iowa is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Storm Lake, 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). Typically, 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: Once both sides have fired their opening volleys in the form of the complaint and answer, the next process in civil litigation in Storm Lake, Iowa is discovery. Under the civil procedure rules of most jurisdictions in the U.S., each side of a lawsuit is required by law to disclose relevant information to the other side. These disclosures come in the form of depositions, the production of documents, and answers to written questions submitted by opposing counsel.

Trial: It is truly quite rare for civil lawsuits in Storm Lake, Iowa to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Storm Lake 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 Storm Lake, Iowa Lawyer Help?

If you are dealing with a lawsuit in Storm Lake, Iowa, it's almost certain that you will have to deal with issues concerning civil procedure.

The rules of civil procedure in Storm Lake, Iowa are not always simple or intuitive. With that in mind, it's very important to have a knowledgeable attorney on your side, to help you through the process.