Litigation Lawyers in Long Grove

"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that govern the process of civil litigation in Long Grove, 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 Long Grove, Illinois are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, cost-effective, simple, and fair as possible.

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

Complaint: The complaint is probably the most important document that the plaintiff will file in a Long Grove, Illinois lawsuit, and it is usually 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. Therefore, it can frame the tone, as well as the legal and factual issues, that will dominate the rest of the case.

Answer: For the defendant, the answer is usually the first document they file in a lawsuit. As the name suggests, it "answers" the plaintiff's complaint. The answer typically denies most, or all, of the allegations made by the plaintiff. If the allegations are factually correct, and the defendant knows this, the defendant might admit that the allegations are true, but because of extenuating circumstances, they should not be held liable. For example, in a lawsuit for battery, a defendant might admit that they did strike the plaintiff, but claim that they were acting in self-defense, which would negate or weaken the plaintiff's case.

Discovery: Once the complaint and answer have been filed in a Long Grove, 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: it's actually very uncommon for lawsuits to go trial in Long Grove, Illinois, because the rules of civil procedure in Long Grove, and nearly everywhere else, encourage speedy resolution of legal disputes, before they ever see the inside of a courtroom. This is largely accomplished by judges dismissing cases that clearly have no merit, or the parties settling out of court. However, 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 decide the issues.

How Can a Long Grove, Illinois Lawyer Help?

If you're facing a lawsuit in Long Grove, Illinois whether as the plaintiff or defendant, you will have to deal with your jurisdiction's civil procedure rules.

Civil Procedure in Long Grove, Illinois can be pretty complicated. It's always a good idea to have a lawyer who can advise you on how best to deal with these civil procedure issues.