Litigation Lawyers in Lake Zurich

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

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

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

Complaint: The complaint is probably the most important document that the plaintiff will file in a Lake Zurich, Illinois lawsuit, and it is typically the first. The complaint contains all of the plaintiff's allegations against the defendant, as well as the relief that the plaintiff is asking the court to provide. Consequently, it can frame the tone, as well as the legal and factual issues, that will dominate the rest of the case.

Answer: The answer is a document filed by the defendant, in response to a complaint. The answer typically contains a few things: normally, it denies most of the allegations made by the plaintiff. If it does not deny the factual assertions in the complaint, it will typically raise legal defenses, known as affirmative defenses, arguing that even if everything the plaintiff alleges is true, the defendant should not be held liable, because of extenuating circumstances.

Discovery: After the complaint has been filed in the Lake Zurich, Illinois court of competent jurisdiction, the next important 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 acquired by sending the other side written questions, which must be answered under oath, demanding access to documents, and deposing witnesses.

Trial: it's truly very uncommon for lawsuits to go trial in Lake Zurich, Illinois, because the rules of civil procedure in Lake Zurich, and nearly everywhere else, encourage speedy resolution of legal disputes, before they ever see the inside of a courtroom. This is largely done by judges dismissing cases that clearly have no merit, or the parties settling out of court. Nonetheless, when neither of these things is possible, both sides of the lawsuit will have to hash it out in a trial, which can be the most stressful and expensive step in the process. It involves both sides of the case presenting their evidence and arguments to a jury and judge, and letting them determine the issues.

How Can a Lake Zurich, Illinois Lawyer Help?

If you are facing a legal issue of any sort in Lake Zurich, Illinois, you are going to confront civil procedure issues.

Because the rules of civil procedure in Lake Zurich, Illinois are intricate, it's smart to have the counsel of an efficient attorney through every step of the process.