Filing a Lawsuit in Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Litigation Lawyers in Fort Wayne

If you live in Fort Wayne, Indiana and think that you might be the victim of a legal wrong, you may decide that it's worth suing over, to recover compensation from the person who wronged you.

If you wish to file a lawsuit, there are many things you need to consider, and the decision to sue someone should not be made without the counsel of a Fort Wayne, Indiana civil litigation attorney.

Once you have hired an attorney in Fort Wayne, Indiana, he or she will be able to help you devise a strategy on how to proceed, which will hopefully maximize your chances of success in your lawsuit. Your lawyer can also give you a rough idea of how much the lawsuit is likely to cost, taking into account court fees, expert witness fees, and other costs.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Consultation with your attorney: Before you continue in any legal action in Fort Wayne, Indiana, you should speak with a brilliant local attorney in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Your legal counsel can make sure you have the best possible chance of winning your case, and help you decide if you should file your lawsuit in the first place.

Drafting The Complaint: In Fort Wayne, Indiana, the first step to filing a lawsuit, once you've actually decided to do so (in consultation with your attorney), is writing a complaint. A complaint is simply a list of facts that you allege against the defendant. A court must look at these allegations and determine if they add up to a valid cause of action, assuming they're true. If they do not add up to a cause of action, the case may be dismissed. The complaint also normally ask the court to provide specific relief, should it rule in the plaintiff's favor.

Serving The Defendant: Once you, or your lawyer, have drafted a complaint, the defendant must be served with it, so they have notice that they're being sued, and are given time to prepare a defense. Fort Wayne, Indiana has certain rules governing how a complaint must be served, for the service to be valid. Personal service (having someone give the documents directly to the defendant) is preferred. However, some courts will also accept service by mail in limited circumstances, or service upon an adult member of the defendant's household.

Await Defendant's Response: When you have served the defendant with the complaint in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the defendant has time to respond. The most frequent response is known as an "answer," in which they specifically address the factual allegations you've made against them, normally by denying most of the allegations. They might also move to dismiss the case if they can argue that the complaint is legally flawed. A judge then has to rule on this motion. If the defendant doesn't respond within a specific period of time, they are said to have "defaulted." This allows the court to enter a default judgment, in which the plaintiff essentially automatically wins the lawsuit. Once this happens, the defendant, if they're ever located, can be served with the judgment, and will have very little power to challenge the merits of your case.

How Can A Fort Wayne, Indiana Tort Lawyer Help?

The basic outline above does not come close to covering all the details involved in filing a lawsuit in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Therefore, if you want to file a lawsuit against someone in Fort Wayne, Indiana, you should not hesitate to speak with an attorney, who will be able to advise you on the best way to proceed.

Talk to a Law Attorney now!

Life in Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana gives visitors the small-town feel that makes Indiana so great. Along with the small town community-feel, Fort Wayne has a lot of things for visitors to do.

For the nature lovers, they can visit Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, which is famous for the display of beautiful plants, shopping, and family outings. Another site great for family outings is the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, which includes great restaurants and cafes and wonderful exhibits of animals!

Sports lovers will have their sports-loving needs catered to with the Fort Wayne TinCaps Baseball Stadium and Parkview Field. The nature lovers have Rivergreenway Trail, and Headwaters Park.

Other popular attractions include Hoosier Park Racing Casino for the adventurous risk-takers, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre for those who love shows, and Veterans Memorial National Shrine, which holds over 5,000 artifacts from the Civil War for all the visitors who are history-buffs.

Fort Wayne is also filled with many small to medium sized law firms who practice in all areas of law. Thus, Fort Wayne citizens do not have to travel far to receive personalized and effective legal representation.

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