Litigation Lawyers in Peoria Heights

"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that regulate the process of civil litigation in Peoria Heights, 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 Peoria Heights, Illinois are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, inexpensive, simple, and fair as possible.

Civil litigation, however, is inherently intricate. So, there is no getting around the fact that the civil procedure rules in Peoria Heights, Illinois are also going to be somewhat difficult 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 Peoria Heights, Illinois Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: In Peoria Heights, Illinois the initial step in suing somebody (after speaking with a lawyer to determine if you have a case) is normally filing a complaint. The complaint is also one of the most significant 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: Once the complaint is filed, the ball is in the defendant's court, so to speak. In the answer, the defendant has an chance to respond to all of the factual allegations made by the plaintiff, normally by denying them. The defendant might also raise affirmative defenses, which could keep the defendant from being held liable. For instance, 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 show that he acted in self-defense, he likely will not be held liable.

Discovery: Once the complaint and answer have been filed in a Peoria Heights, Illinois court, the next major civil procedure issue comes up. Discovery is the procedure in which both sides of the lawsuit are obligated to disclose obligated 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: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in Peoria Heights, Illinois, it is really very rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Peoria Heights is designed to encourage early settlement of cases, or dismissal of cases that don't have any legal or factual merit. Nonetheless, 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 Peoria Heights, Illinois Lawyer Help?

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

In Peoria Heights, Illinois, procedural issues can derail an otherwise-valid case. They can also be some of the most obtuse and convoluted issues in the whole case. Thus, you should not go into something like this without the counsel of an attorney.