Litigation Lawyers in Niles

"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that govern the process of civil litigation in Niles, 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 Niles, 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 Niles, 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 Niles, Illinois Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: In Niles, Illinois the first step in suing somebody (after speaking with a lawyer to determine if you have a case) is typically filing a complaint. The complaint is also one of the most important documents in the civil litigation process. By laying out the wrongs that the plaintiff alleges the defendant has committed, as well as the remedies that the plaintiff wants the court to provide, it can set the tone for the entire 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: Once both sides have fired their opening volleys in the form of the complaint and answer, the next process in civil litigation in Niles, Illinois 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: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in Niles, Illinois, it is truly extremely rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Niles is designed to encourage early settlement of cases, or dismissal of cases that don't have any legal or factual merit. However, in the rare cases when the case is not dismissed, and the parties can't reach a settlement, the matter will go to trial. A trial is the most visible aspect of civil litigation, and it is the stage when all of the legal and factual questions raised by both parties are resolved by a judge and jury, respectively.

How Can a Niles, Illinois Lawyer Help?

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

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