Litigation Lawyers in Columbus

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

Columbus, Minnesota's government strives to make the civil justice system fair, efficient, and accessible. The rules of civil procedure are designed to promote those goals, to the greatest extent possible.

Civil litigation, however, is inherently perplexing. So, there is no getting around the fact that the civil procedure rules in Columbus, Minnesota are also going to be somewhat perplexing 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 Columbus, Minnesota Civil Procedure Issues

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

Answer: After the plaintiff files the complaint, the defendant has to act. While they have a few avenues at this stage of the game, most defendants elect to file an answer. The answer is the defendant's first direct response to the plaintiff's allegations. Occasionally, the answer contains a general denial, in which the defendant simply denies everything the plaintiff alleges. It might also contain a point-by-point addressing of every allegation the plaintiff makes, denying some, and admitting some.

Discovery: Once both sides have fired their opening volleys in the form of the complaint and answer, the next procedure in civil litigation in Columbus, Minnesota is discovery. Under the civil procedure rules of most jurisdictions in the U.S., each side of a lawsuit is obligated by law to disclose relevant information to the other side. These disclosures come in the form of depositions, the production of documents, and answers to written questions submitted by opposing counsel.

Trial: In Columbus, Minnesota, it's actually very rare for civil lawsuits to go to trial. Of all the lawsuits that are filed, only a tiny minority make it to trial. The majority are either dismissed, or settled. This is by design: the civil procedure rules in Columbus are particularly meant to encourage early resolution of legal disputes, without resorting to a costly and time-consuming trial. Nonetheless, when a case does go to trial, it is for the purpose of a jury resolving all of the factual disputes between the parties. Each side will present evidence acquired through the discovery process, call witnesses, and make arguments on behalf of their position. Once the jury reaches a verdict (a finding of fact), the judge enters a judgment on the verdict.

How Can a Columbus, Minnesota Lawyer Help?

If you are dealing with a lawsuit in Columbus, Minnesota, it's almost given that you will have to deal with issues regarding civil procedure.

It should go without saying that you should have a Columbus, Minnesota attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost sure to face, if you're involved in a lawsuit.