Litigation Lawyers in Paintsville

If you live in Paintsville, Kentucky and think that you might be the victim of a legal wrong, you may determine that it's worth suing over, to recover compensation from the individual who wronged you.

If you think that you may want to file a lawsuit, you should not make this decision easily, and there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account. Obviously, you should never go into a lawsuit without at least consulting a qualified Paintsville, Kentucky civil litigation attorney.

Once you have retained an attorney in Paintsville, Kentucky, 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 provide 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 Paintsville, Kentucky

Consultation with your attorney: Before you continue in any legal action in Paintsville, Kentucky, you should speak with a reputable local attorney in Paintsville, Kentucky. 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 Paintsville, Kentucky, the initial step in filing a lawsuit is drafting a complaint. The complaint is a document that lays out all of your allegations against the person you're suing. It generally provides necessary background information, details the injuries you suffered, and why the person you're suing is to blame for those injuries. It also usually contains a specific "prayer" (request) for relief - a brief statement telling the court what the plaintiff is asking of it, such as monetary damages, and injunction, or other relief.

Serving The Defendant: After you draft your complaint, and file it with the court, you have to let the defendant know that they're being sued. The law of Paintsville, Kentucky states that the defendant be given advance notice of the lawsuit as a matter of general fairness: if you were being sued, you'd want to be given time to find a lawyer and prepare your defense strategy, right? So, with that in mind, the law prefers that defendants be served personally, generally through the use of a paid process server.

Await The Response: The defendant has a certain amount of time to respond to your lawsuit, once they confirm that they've been served in Paintsville, Kentucky. The defendant will likely respond with an answer to your complaint. An answer is a document in which the defendant admits or denies the specific factual allegations made by the plaintiff. Typically, the defendant will admit the allegations that are not seriously in dispute (for instance, if the lawsuit concerns a car accident, they'll probably admit that an accident did, in fact, take place), but deny the more serious allegations (they'll probably deny that they were responsible for the accident). If the defendant fails to respond within a set period of time, they are in "default," and basically lose the case automatically.

How Can A Paintsville, Kentucky Tort Lawyer Help?

This article gives you a general picture of what is necessary to file a lawsuit in Paintsville, Kentucky. However, it should not, under any circumstances, be read as a complete guide to the litigation process.

Thus, if you want to file a lawsuit against someone in Paintsville, Kentucky, you should not delay to talk with an attorney, who will be able to advise you on the best way to proceed.