Litigation Lawyers in St. Joseph

In St. Joseph, Michigan, the court system is a state institution of Michigan to resolve disputes that occurred in, and involving residents of, St. Joseph.

It's extremely likely that you will have to deal with the court system in St. Joseph, Michigan, in one way or another, at some point.

St. Joseph, Michigan's courts handle both civil and criminal matters. The litigation lawyers of St. Joseph, Michigan spend a good deal of time in the courts, and typically know the ins and outs of the local court system pretty well. However, to a layperson, dealing with the court system for the first time can be intimidating. Here are a few of the most likely situations in which a person will have to deal with the courts in St. Joseph, Michigan:

Events Leading To Exposure To The Courts In St. Joseph, Michigan

Jury Duty: Under the law of St. Joseph, Michigan, all adult citizens of the United States who live in St. Joseph are required to make themselves available for jury duty, if they are needed. When you are called upon to serve on a jury, you are required to show up, or else you might face criminal charges leading to hefty fines, in possible imprisonment. When you are called for jury duty, there's a good chance that you won't actually have to serve on a jury, either because there are already more people in the jury pool than are needed, or one of the lawyers involved in the case decides to excuse you. If you are selected to serve, on the other hand, you should follow the instructions of the judge to the letter. In particular, you need to show up to the courthouse every day of the trial, and on time, or risk being held in contempt of court.

Filing a lawsuit: When you sue a person or company in a St. Joseph, Michigan court, it's a given that you will have to deal with the courts, to one degree or another. At the very least, you'll probably have to attend some hearings, deal with discovery disputes, and attend case management meetings. Even if your case never goes to trial (which it probably won't, statistically), you will probably become very familiar with St. Joseph, Michigan's courts.

Being Sued: If you, unfortunately, are getting sued in a St. Joseph, Michigan court, it's almost certain that you'll be spending a lot of time dealing with the local court system. You have to file some type of response (usually an answer or motion to dismiss) to the lawsuit, and there will be many procedural issues that might result in disputes that the court has to resolve. All of this happens in most lawsuits, even if they don't go to trial.

Divorce: If you and your spouse are divorcing, hopefully you can do it amicably. If there are disagreements over child custody, or other issues, a St. Joseph, Michigan family court is going to have to settle them.

How Can A St. Joseph, Michigan Tort Lawyer Help?

Whatever the particular circumstances leading you to have to deal with the court system in St. Joseph, Michigan, it's highly likely that complex legal questions are going to be involved.

Accordingly, it's almost always a good idea to speak with a qualified civil litigation attorney if you think that you are going to have to deal with the courts in St. Joseph, Michigan.