Litigation Lawyers in Greenville

"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that govern the process of civil litigation in Greenville, Illinois. It does not deal with the substantive rights that the litigation system is meant to protect, just the process by which it protects them.

The rules of civil procedure in Greenville, Illinois are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, cost-effective, simple, and fair as possible.

Civil litigation, however, is inherently confusing. So, there is no getting around the fact that the civil procedure rules in Greenville, Illinois 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 Greenville, Illinois Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The first, and perhaps most important, part of filing a lawsuit in Greenville, Illinois is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Greenville, Illinois 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: Once the complaint is filed, the ball is in the defendant's court, so to speak. In the answer, the defendant has an opportunity to respond to all of the factual allegations made by the plaintiff, typically by denying them. The defendant might also raise affirmative defenses, which could prevent the defendant from being held liable. For example, if the defendant is accused of battery, and he did, in fact, batter the plaintiff, he might admit to that fact, but claim that the plaintiff was the aggressor, and he acted purely in self-defense. If he can establish that he acted in self-defense, he likely will not be held liable.

Discovery: Once the complaint and answer have been filed in a Greenville, Illinois court, the next major civil procedure issue comes up. Discovery is the process in which both sides of the lawsuit are required to disclose required evidence to one another. The lawyers for each side can submit written questions, which the other party is required to answer under oath, unless the information is privileged. Each side can also request any relevant documents, physical evidence, and can conduct depositions of witnesses and parties to the lawsuit.

Trial: In Greenville, Illinois, it's truly extremely rare for civil lawsuits to go to trial. Of all the lawsuits that are filed, only a tiny minority make it to trial. The majority are either dismissed, or settled. This is by design: the civil procedure rules in Greenville are specifically meant to encourage early resolution of legal disputes, without resorting to a costly and time-consuming trial. However, when a case does go to trial, it is for the purpose of a jury resolving all of the factual disputes between the parties. Each side will present evidence received through the discovery process, call witnesses, and make arguments on behalf of their position. Once the jury reaches a verdict (a finding of fact), the judge enters a judgment on the verdict.

How Can a Greenville, Illinois Lawyer Help?

If you're facing any substantial legal issue in Greenville, Illinois, 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 Greenville, Illinois attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost certain to face, if you're engaged in a lawsuit.