Litigation Lawyers in Minot

If you are in Minot, North Dakota and believe that some form of legal wrong has been committed against you, and determine that seeking legal redress will be worth the time and expense involved, you may wish to file a lawsuit.

If you're contemplating filing a lawsuit, there are several things you need to consider, and it is not a decision to be made lightly. You should not file a lawsuit without seeking the advice of a Minot, North Dakota civil litigation attorney first.

Once you have retained an attorney in Minot, North Dakota, 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 provide 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 Minot, North Dakota

Consultation With Your Attorney: Before filing any case in Minot, North Dakota, you should talk with a local attorney. Your Minot, North Dakota attorney will be able to advise you on the merits of your lawsuit, and your chances of success.

Drafting The Complaint: Once you determine that pursuing a lawsuit in Minot, North Dakota 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 procedure, 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 typically asks the court for particular 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. Minot, North Dakota requires that lawsuits be served on defendants in a specific 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 highly preferred to serve defendants in person (with a disinterested third party delivering the papers to the defendant). Occasionally, 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 Minot, North Dakota, the law gives civil defendants a fairly long period of time (a month or two typically) to respond to a lawsuit against them. The most prevalent response is either an answer (where they address the factual allegations against them, typically 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 typically 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 Minot, North Dakota Tort Lawyer Help?

As you can see, it can be an intricate and difficult process to file a lawsuit in Minot, North Dakota, and it is, in fact, much more intricate than the basic outline you just read.

Thus, if you want to file a lawsuit against someone in Minot, North Dakota, you should not delay to talk with an attorney, who will be able to advise you on the best way to proceed.