Litigation Lawyers in Charleston

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

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

Major Charleston, Missouri Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: When somebody believes that they have suffered a legal wrong in Charleston, Missouri, and decide to file a lawsuit, the initial document that they file with the court is typically the complaint. The complaint is very significant, because it can frame the factual and legal issues, and set the tone, for the rest of the process. The complaint normally contains every factual allegation against the defendant that forms the basis of the plaintiff's lawsuit. It also contains a prayer for relief, in which the plaintiff lays out his or her desired remedies, if the court finds the defendant liable.

Answer: For the defendant, the answer is typically the first document they file in a lawsuit. As the name suggests, it "answers" the plaintiff's complaint. The answer normally 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 instance, 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: Once the complaint and answer have been filed in a Charleston, Missouri court, the next major civil procedure issue comes up. Discovery is the procedure in which both sides of the lawsuit are obligated to disclose obligated evidence to one another. The lawyers for each side can submit written questions, which the other party is required to answer under oath, unless the information is privileged. Each side can also request any relevant documents, physical evidence, and can conduct depositions of witnesses and parties to the lawsuit.

Trial: It's quite rare for lawsuits in Charleston, Missouri to go to trial. Charleston's civil procedure rules truly discourage trials, and alternatively have designed the system so that it's almost always more cost-effective to settle out of court. Nonetheless, if this is not possible, the matter will go to trial, where a judge and/or jury will decide the factual questions, and then award the appropriate relief (if any) to the prevailing party.

How Can a Charleston, Missouri Lawyer Help?

If you're suing anyone, or are being sued, in Charleston, Missouri, dealing with issues of civil procedure is going to be a fact of life for quite some time.

Civil Procedure in Charleston, Missouri can be pretty confusing. It's always a good idea to have a lawyer who can advise you on how best to deal with these civil procedure issues.