Litigation Lawyers in St. Louis Park

If you live in St. Louis Park, Minnesota 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 St. Louis Park, Minnesota before you proceed.

Once you have hired an attorney in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, he or she will be able to help you devise a strategy on how to proceed, which will hopefully maximize your chances of success in your lawsuit. Your lawyer can also give you a rough idea of how much the lawsuit is likely to cost, taking into account court fees, expert witness fees, and other costs.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Consultation With Your Attorney: Before filing any lawsuit in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, you should speak with a local attorney. Your St. Louis Park, Minnesota attorney will be able to advise you on the merits of your lawsuit, and your chances of success.

Drafting The Complaint: Once you decide that pursuing a lawsuit in St. Louis Park, Minnesota civil court is worth your time and effort, you need to file a complaint. The complaint can set the tone, and frame the issues, for the rest of the litigation process, which can drag on for months, or even years (and decades, in some cases). This is because the complaint lays out all the allegations against the defendant. It also usually asks the court for specific relief, should it rule in the plaintiff's favor.

Serving The Defendant: Once you have drafted your complaint, you need to serve the defendant with it, and file it with the court. St. Louis Park, Minnesota 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: In St. Louis Park, Minnesota, the law gives civil defendants a fairly long period of time (a month or two usually) to respond to a lawsuit against them. The most common response is either an answer (where they address the factual allegations against them, usually denying most or all of the allegations) or a motion to dismiss (where the contend that, even if everything alleged in the complaint is true, those facts would not establish liability). If the defendant does nothing, and fails to respond, they run the risk of having a default judgment entered against them. This usually means that the court automatically rules against them, treating the plaintiff as if they won the lawsuit. This gives the plaintiff a judgment against the defendant, which they can seek to collect using all legal means.

How Can A St. Louis Park, Minnesota Tort Lawyer Help?

This article gives you a basic picture of what is required to file a lawsuit in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. However, it should not, under any circumstances, be read as a complete guide to the litigation process.

Therefore, if you want to file a lawsuit against someone in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, you should not hesitate to speak with an attorney, who will be able to advise you on the best way to proceed.