Farmington Hills, Michigan Civil Procedures

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Litigation Lawyers in Farmington Hills

"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that regulate the process of civil litigation in Farmington Hills, Michigan. It does not deal with the substantive rights that the litigation system is meant to safeguard, just the process by which it protects them.

Like all laws, the rules of civil procedure in Farmington Hills, Michigan reflect certain values that society, through its elected representatives, wants to promote. So, the rules of civil procedure have the stated goal of ensuring that the justice system is fair, cost effective, efficient, and accessible to everyone who has a legitimate legal grievance.

Civil litigation in Farmington Hills, Michigan 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 Farmington Hills, Michigan Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: When somebody believes that they have suffered a legal wrong in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and decide to file a lawsuit, the initial document that they file with the court is usually the complaint. The complaint is very significant, because it can frame the factual and legal issues, and set the tone, for the rest of the process. The complaint typically contains every factual allegation against the defendant that forms the basis of the plaintiff's lawsuit. It also contains a prayer for relief, in which the plaintiff lays out his or her desired remedies, if the court finds the defendant liable.

Answer: Once the complaint is filed, the ball is in the defendant's court, so to speak. In the answer, the defendant has an chance to respond to all of the factual allegations made by the plaintiff, usually by denying them. The defendant might also raise affirmative defenses, which could keep the defendant from being held liable. For instance, if the defendant is accused of battery, and he did, in fact, batter the plaintiff, he might admit to that fact, but claim that the plaintiff was the aggressor, and he acted purely in self-defense. If he can prove that he acted in self-defense, he likely will not be held liable.

Discovery: Once the initial documents have been filed by both parties in the proper Farmington Hills, Michigan court, the discovery process begins. "Discovery" refers to a wide range of disclosures that each side of the lawsuit must make to the other. Basically, everyone involved in the lawsuit has to disclose every piece of information in their possession (with some exceptions) that's relevant to the factual issues in the case. There are a few different methods that are employed in this procedure: each side can send written questions to the other, which must be answered under oath. They can also request documents, as well as access to physical evidence. They can also conduct depositions (in-person Q&A sessions) of parties and witnesses.

Trial: It is actually quite rare for civil lawsuits in Farmington Hills, Michigan to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Farmington Hills highly encourage early resolution to cases by dismissal of lawsuits that have no merit, and negotiated settlement of those that do. Nonetheless, when neither of those things happen, the case goes to trial. This is when a judge and jury determine the questions of law and fact, respectively, raised in the case. The jury then issues a verdict, based on the evidence presented to them.

How Can a Farmington Hills, Michigan Lawyer Help?

If you're facing a lawsuit in Farmington Hills, Michigan whether as the plaintiff or defendant, you will have to interact with your jurisdiction's civil procedure rules.

Because the rules of civil procedure in Farmington Hills, Michigan are complex, it's smart to have the counsel of an experienced attorney through every step of the process.

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Life in Farmington Hills

Farmington Hills is located in southeastern Michigan. It is hte largest city in Michigan's Oakland County. Per the 2010 census, the population is around 79.740 people. Farmington Hills is known as an upscale area, and is also located very near the affluent area of Ann Arbor.

The top employers include Botsford Hospital, the school district, Bosch, Quicken Loans, Gale, TD Auto Finance, Aditya Birla Minacs, TRW Automotive Electronics, ACO Hardware, and Nissan Technical Center North America.

Farmington Hills is also home to some attorneys who residents often turn to for thier legal needs. Ann Arbor is also home to many law firms that practice in almost all areas of law, that train their attorneys to always litigate and act in the best interest of their clients.

Some famous residents include Steve Ballmer, Keith Benson, Elizabeth Berkley, Cam Fowler, Al Jean, Bill Joy, Drew Stanton, Fred Toucher, and Fred M. Warner.

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