Litigation Lawyers in St. Louis

"Civil procedure" refers to the wide variety of rules that regulate the process of civil litigation in St. Louis, 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.

St. Louis, Michigan's government strives to make the civil justice system fair, efficient, and accessible. The rules of civil procedure are designed to encourage those goals, to the greatest extent possible.

St. Louis, Michigan's civil procedure rules can get pretty difficult, however. They control every aspect of a civil action, from the filing of the complaint, to discovery, and all the way through trial and appeals.

Major St. Louis, Michigan Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The complaint is probably the most important document that the plaintiff will file in a St. Louis, Michigan lawsuit, and it is normally the first. The complaint contains all of the plaintiff's allegations against the defendant, as well as the relief that the plaintiff is asking the court to provide. Thus, it can frame the tone, as well as the legal and factual issues, that will dominate the rest of the case.

Answer: The answer is normally the first document that the defendant files, and it is meant to serve as a direct response to the plaintiff's complaint. It normally denies all of the plaintiff's major allegations. It might also lay out affirmative defenses. An "affirmative defense" is a set of reasons that negate the defendant's liability even if their conduct would ordinarily be unlawful. For example, in a lawsuit for battery, a defendant might admit that he struck the plaintiff, but claim that he acted in self-defense. If that can be shown, it would negate, or mitigate, his liability to the plaintiff.

Discovery: The civil procedure rules in St. Louis, Michigan were written with the purpose of, among other things, preventing surprises. For that reason, everyone immersed in a lawsuit goes into trial with a pretty good idea of what evidence the other side has. This is largely because of the discovery procedure, during which the attorneys for both sides are obligated to disclose (with some exemptions) all information relevant to the trial which they have in their possession. These disclosures come in several forms, such as simply sending boxes of documents, deposing witnesses, or submitting written questions to the other side, which the recipient is obligated to answer under oath.

Trial: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in St. Louis, Michigan, it is really very rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in St. Louis is designed to encourage early settlement of cases, or dismissal of cases that don't have any legal or factual merit. Nonetheless, in the rare cases when the case is not dismissed, and the parties can't reach a settlement, the matter will go to trial. A trial is the most visible aspect of civil litigation, and it is the stage when all of the legal and factual questions raised by both parties are resolved by a judge and jury, respectively.

How Can a St. Louis, Michigan Lawyer Help?

If you're facing any considerable legal issue in St. Louis, Michigan, you can be pretty much sure that you'll face at least a few procedural complications that can hold up the process.

The rules of civil procedure in St. Louis, Michigan are not always simple or intuitive. With that in mind, it's very important to have a seasoned attorney on your side, to help you through the process.