Litigation Lawyers in Stillwater

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

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

In Stillwater, Minnesota, civil litigation is often extremely intricate. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that the rules of civil procedure can also be fairly confusing. After all, they govern everything from the first document filed by the plaintiff, to the last ruling issued by an appeals court.

Major Stillwater, Minnesota Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: Perhaps the most important part of filing a lawsuit in Stillwater, Minnesota is the complaint. The complaint is a document filed with a Stillwater, Minnesota 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: After the plaintiff files the complaint, the defendant has to act. While they have a few options 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. Sometimes, 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 process in civil litigation in Stillwater, Minnesota is discovery. Under the civil procedure rules of most jurisdictions in the U.S., each side of a lawsuit is required 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 Stillwater, Minnesota, it's truly extremely 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 Stillwater are specifically meant to encourage early resolution of legal disputes, without resorting to a costly and time-consuming trial. However, 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 obtained 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 Stillwater, Minnesota Lawyer Help?

If you are facing a legal issue of any kind in Stillwater, Minnesota, you are going to confront civil procedure issues.

Because the rules of civil procedure in Stillwater, Minnesota are intricate, it's smart to have the counsel of an efficient attorney through every step of the process.