Litigation Lawyers in Georgetown

If you live in Georgetown, Massachusetts 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 filing a lawsuit is a good choice in seeking redress, you should not rush into this decision. A lawsuit is a time-consuming and costly process. You should not make a final decision without talking to a Georgetown, Massachusetts attorney.

Your Georgetown, Massachusetts civil litigation attorney will be able to advise you on whether or not you have a legitimate case, and, if so, your best avenues on how to proceed. The attorney will also discuss with you the fees for their services, and whether he or she can represent you on a contingency basis.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Georgetown, Massachusetts

Consultation with your attorney: Before you file a lawsuit in a Georgetown, Massachusetts court, you need to meet and confer with a local lawyer. You lawyer in Georgetown, Massachusetts can advise you on whether or not your lawsuit has merit, and how possible it is to prevail.

Drafting The Complaint: Once you determine that pursuing a lawsuit in Georgetown, Massachusetts civil court is worth your time and effort, you need to file a complaint. The complaint can set the tone, and frame the issues, for the rest of the litigation procedure, which can drag on for months, or even years (and decades, in some cases). This is because the complaint lays out all the allegations against the defendant. It also typically asks the court for particular relief, should it rule in the plaintiff's favor.

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 Georgetown, Massachusetts 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, usually through the use of a paid process server.

Await Defendant's Response: When you have served the defendant with the complaint in Georgetown, Massachusetts, the defendant has time to respond. The most prevalent response is known as an "answer," in which they particularly address the factual allegations you've made against them, typically 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 given 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 Georgetown, Massachusetts Tort Lawyer Help?

The basic outline above does not come close to covering all the specifics involved in filing a lawsuit in Georgetown, Massachusetts.

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