Litigation Lawyers in Houghton

If you live in Houghton, 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 hire a good attorney from Houghton, Michigan before you proceed.

Your Houghton, 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 Houghton, Michigan

Consultation with your attorney: Before you file a lawsuit in a Houghton, Michigan court, you need to meet and confer with a local lawyer. You lawyer in Houghton, 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 Houghton, Michigan court, you need to draft a complaint, with the help of your lawyer. A complaint is usually 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 usually gives the plaintiff a chance to re-submit the complaint, with the errors corrected.

Serving The Defendant: Once you have drafted your complaint, you need to serve the defendant with it, and file it with the court. Houghton, Michigan requires that lawsuits be served on defendants in a certain way. This is to ensure that the defendant has a good deal of notice that they're being sued, giving them time to find an attorney, and work on how they're going to defend themselves. It is strongly preferred to serve defendants in person (with a disinterested third party delivering the papers to the defendant). Sometimes, however, the defendant cannot be found, or is trying to avoid service, they can be served by mail with court approval.

Await Defendant's Response: When you have served the defendant with the complaint in Houghton, Michigan, the defendant has time to respond. The most common response is known as an "answer," in which they specifically address the factual allegations you've made against them, usually 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 certain 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 Houghton, Michigan Tort Lawyer Help?

Filing a lawsuit in a Houghton, Michigan court is a bit more complicated than the basic outline laid out above.

You should seek the advice of a qualified litigation attorney if you are planning on filing a lawsuit against somebody who you think has wronged you in Houghton, Michigan.