Litigation Lawyers in Concordia

"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that govern the process of civil litigation in Concordia, Kansas. 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 Concordia, Kansas are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, affordable, simple, and fair as possible.

Civil litigation in Concordia, Kansas is almost never a simple process. So, the rules governing this process can't always be simple, either. Remember, civil procedure covers every single step of the civil litigation process, which can drag on for years.

Major Concordia, Kansas Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The complaint is probably the most important document that the plaintiff will file in a Concordia, Kansas 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: The answer is usually the first document that the defendant files, and it is meant to serve as a direct response to the plaintiff's complaint. It usually denies all of the plaintiff's major allegations. It might also lay out affirmative defenses. An "affirmative defense" is a set of circumstances that negate the defendant's liability even if their conduct would ordinarily be unlawful. For example, in a lawsuit for battery, a defendant might admit that he struck the plaintiff, but claim that he acted in self-defense. If that can be proven, it would negate, or mitigate, his liability to the plaintiff.

Discovery: The civil procedure rules in Concordia, Kansas were written with the purpose of, among other things, avoiding surprises. For that reason, everyone involved in a lawsuit goes into trial with a pretty good idea of what evidence the other side has. This is largely because of the discovery process, during which the attorneys for both sides are required to disclose (with some exemptions) all information relevant to the trial which they have in their possession. These disclosures come in multiple forms, such as simply sending boxes of documents, deposing witnesses, or submitting written questions to the other side, which the recipient is obligated to answer under oath.

Trial: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in Concordia, Kansas, it is actually extremely rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Concordia 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 Concordia, Kansas Lawyer Help?

If you are facing a legal issue of any kind in Concordia, Kansas, you are going to encounter civil procedure issues.

It should go without saying that you should have a Concordia, Kansas attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost certain to face, if you're involved in a lawsuit.