Litigation Lawyers in Wayne

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

Wayne, 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.

Civil litigation, however, is inherently difficult. So, there is no getting around the fact that the civil procedure rules in Wayne, Michigan are also going to be somewhat convoluted and obtuse (or at least parts of them are). Remember, these rules govern every single thing that happens in a civil lawsuit, from the first complaint, to the last appeal.

Major Wayne, Michigan Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: Perhaps the most important part of filing a lawsuit in Wayne, Michigan is the complaint. The complaint is a document filed with a Wayne, Michigan court that lays out the plaintiff's (the person filing the suit) allegations against the defendant (the person being sued), as well as the relief that the plaintiff is seeking from the court.

Answer: For the defendant, the answer is normally the first document they file in a lawsuit. As the name suggests, it "answers" the plaintiff's complaint. The answer usually denies most, or all, of the allegations made by the plaintiff. If the allegations are factually correct, and the defendant knows this, the defendant might admit that the allegations are true, but because of extenuating circumstances, they should not be held liable. For example, in a lawsuit for battery, a defendant might admit that they did strike the plaintiff, but claim that they were acting in self-defense, which would negate or weaken the plaintiff's case.

Discovery: After the complaint has been filed in the Wayne, Michigan court of competent jurisdiction, the next major phase is the discovery process. In a civil lawsuit, there are not supposed to be any surprises (so the dramatic moments you see in TV trials are largely fiction). This predictability largely comes from the discovery process. Each side of the lawsuit has to disclose information relevant to the lawsuit to the other. This information can be received by sending the other side written questions, which must be answered under oath, demanding access to documents, and deposing witnesses.

Trial: It is really quite rare for civil lawsuits in Wayne, Michigan to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Wayne strongly encourage early resolution to cases by dismissal of lawsuits that have no merit, and negotiated settlement of those that do. However, when neither of those things happen, the case goes to trial. This is when a judge and jury decide 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 Wayne, Michigan Lawyer Help?

If you are dealing with a lawsuit in Wayne, Michigan, it's almost certain that you will have to deal with issues concerning civil procedure.

In Wayne, Michigan, procedural complications can derail an otherwise-valid case. They can also be some of the most obtuse and convoluted issues in the whole case. Thus, you should not go into something like this without the counsel of an attorney.