Litigation Lawyers in Hazel Park

If you live in Hazel Park, Michigan and think that you might be the victim of a legal wrong, you may decide that it's worth suing over, to recover compensation from the person who wronged you.

If you are contemplating filing a lawsuit, you should know that there are many factors that need to be considered before doing so. You should definitely contact a knowledgeable attorney from Hazel Park, Michigan before you proceed.

Your Hazel Park, Michigan civil litigation attorney will be able to advise you on whether or not you have a legitimate case, and, if so, your best options 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 Hazel Park, Michigan

Consultation with your attorney: Before you file a lawsuit in a Hazel Park, Michigan court, you need to meet and confer with a local lawyer. You lawyer in Hazel Park, Michigan can advise you on whether or not your lawsuit has merit, and how likely it is to succeed.

Drafting a Complaint: Once you have decided to go through with filing a lawsuit in a Hazel Park, Michigan court, you need to draft a complaint, with the help of your lawyer. A complaint is typically the first step in actually filing a lawsuit. The complaint is the plaintiff's first opportunity to lay out the allegations against the defendant. If a complaint doesn't allege facts that add up to a valid lawsuit (that is, even if everything alleged in the complaint is true, the defendant has still not committed a legal wrong that the court can compensate), the case will have to be dismissed. When a case is dismissed for this reason, the court typically gives the plaintiff a chance to re-submit the complaint, with the errors corrected.

Serving The Defendant: Once you, or your lawyer, have drafted a complaint, the defendant must be served with it, so they have notice that they're being sued, and are given time to prepare a defense. Hazel Park, Michigan has particular rules governing how a complaint must be served, for the service to be valid. Personal service (having someone give the documents directly to the defendant) is preferred. However, some courts will also accept service by mail in limited circumstances, or service upon an adult member of the defendant's household.

Await The Response: The defendant has a given amount of time to respond to your lawsuit, once they confirm that they've been served in Hazel Park, Michigan. The defendant will probably 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. Normally, the defendant will admit the allegations that are not seriously in dispute (for example, 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 predetermined period of time, they are in "default," and basically lose the case automatically.

How Can A Hazel Park, Michigan Tort Lawyer Help?

As you can see, it can be an intricate and difficult process to file a lawsuit in Hazel Park, Michigan, and it is, in fact, much more intricate than the basic outline you just read.

Therefore, if you want to file a lawsuit against someone in Hazel Park, Michigan, you should not hesitate to speak with an attorney, who will be able to advise you on the best way to proceed.