Litigation Lawyers in Ponchatoula

"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that regulate the process of civil litigation in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. 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 civil procedure rules in Ponchatoula, Louisiana are designed around a few simple goals for the civil litigation system: efficiency, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and, most especially, fairness.

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

Major Ponchatoula, Louisiana Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The complaint is probably the most important document that the plaintiff will file in a Ponchatoula, Louisiana lawsuit, and it is normally 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. Thus, it can frame the tone, as well as the legal and factual issues, that will dominate the rest of the case.

Answer: For the defendant, the answer is normally the first document they file in a lawsuit. As the name suggests, it "answers" the plaintiff's complaint. The answer usually denies most, or all, of the allegations made by the plaintiff. If the allegations are factually correct, and the defendant knows this, the defendant might admit that the allegations are true, but because of extenuating circumstances, they should not be held liable. For instance, in a lawsuit for battery, a defendant might admit that they did strike the plaintiff, but claim that they were acting in self-defense, which would negate or weaken the plaintiff's case.

Discovery: Once the complaint and answer have been filed in a Ponchatoula, Louisiana 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: It's quite rare for lawsuits in Ponchatoula, Louisiana to go to trial. Ponchatoula's civil procedure rules really discourage trials, and rather have designed the system so that it's almost always more cost-effective to settle out of court. Nonetheless, if this is not possible, the matter will go to trial, where a judge and/or jury will decide the factual questions, and then award the appropriate relief (if any) to the prevailing party.

How Can a Ponchatoula, Louisiana Lawyer Help?

If you're suing anyone, or are being sued, in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, dealing with issues of civil procedure is going to be a fact of life for quite some time.

The rules of civil procedure in Ponchatoula, Louisiana are not always simple or intuitive. With that in mind, it's very important to have a seasoned attorney on your side, to help you through the process.