Filing a Lawsuit in Hackensack, New Jersey

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Litigation Lawyers in Hackensack

If you are in Hackensack, New Jersey and believe that some type of legal wrong has been committed against you, and decide that seeking legal redress will be worth the time and expense involved, you may wish to file a lawsuit.

If you think that filing a lawsuit is a good option in seeking redress, you should not rush into this decision. A lawsuit is a time-consuming and expensive process. You should not make a final decision without speaking to a Hackensack, New Jersey attorney.

Your Hackensack, New Jersey civil litigation attorney will be able to advise you on whether or not you have a legitimate case, and, if so, your best options on how to proceed. The attorney will also discuss with you the fees for their services, and whether he or she can represent you on a contingency basis.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Hackensack, New Jersey

Consultation with your attorney: Before you file a lawsuit in a Hackensack, New Jersey court, you need to meet and confer with a local lawyer. You lawyer in Hackensack, New Jersey can advise you on whether or not your lawsuit has merit, and how likely it is to succeed.

Drafting a Complaint: Once you have decided to go through with filing a lawsuit in a Hackensack, New Jersey court, you need to draft a complaint, with the help of your lawyer. A complaint is normally the first step in actually filing a lawsuit. The complaint is the plaintiff's first opportunity to lay out the allegations against the defendant. If a complaint doesn't allege facts that add up to a valid lawsuit (that is, even if everything alleged in the complaint is true, the defendant has still not committed a legal wrong that the court can compensate), the case will have to be dismissed. When a case is dismissed for this reason, the court normally gives the plaintiff a chance to re-submit the complaint, with the errors corrected.

Serving the Defendant: When you have decided that you want to file a lawsuit in Hackensack, New Jersey, and have drafted the complaint, your next major step is to file the complaint with the court, and serve it on the defendant. The defendant must be given at least several weeks' notice that they're being sued, and as much time to review the complaint. This is a matter of basic fairness and due process, and allows the defendant to hire a lawyer and get to work on a defense. The law requires that the defendant be served in a few certain ways. The first choice is to give it to them in person. This has to be done by a person who does not have any direct involvement in the lawsuit. If that isn't possible, the defendant can be served by giving the complaint to another adult member of their household; this is called substituted service.

Await Defendant's Response: When you have served the defendant with the complaint in Hackensack, New Jersey, the defendant has time to respond. The most frequent response is known as an "answer," in which they specifically address the factual allegations you've made against them, normally by denying most of the allegations. They might also move to dismiss the case if they can argue that the complaint is legally flawed. A judge then has to rule on this motion. If the defendant doesn't respond within a specific period of time, they are said to have "defaulted." This allows the court to enter a default judgment, in which the plaintiff essentially automatically wins the lawsuit. Once this happens, the defendant, if they're ever located, can be served with the judgment, and will have very little power to challenge the merits of your case.

How Can A Hackensack, New Jersey Tort Lawyer Help?

The basic outline above does not come close to covering all the details involved in filing a lawsuit in Hackensack, New Jersey.

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

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Life in Hackensack

Hackensack is located in Bergen County, New Jersey. Its official name is New Barbadoes Township. In 1921, the name informally became Hackensack. It is located about twelve miles from Midtown Manhattan,, and about seven miles from the George Washington Bridge. It is home to around 43,000 people.

Some popular sites include Fairleigh Dickinson University, the New Jersey Naval Museum, the World War II submarine USS Ling display, the First Dutch Reformed Church, The Shops at Riverside (Riverside Square Mall), and Bergen Museum of Art Science.

Some famous residents include Debby Boone, Philip Carey, Samuel Cooper, Harold Dow, Jim Finn, Dave Fiore, Mike Fratello, David Grisman, Matt Herr, John Huyler, Dave Scott, Douglas Watt, and Teresa Weatherspoon.

Hackensack is also home to attorneys who have established their practices in their local city. Thus, the legal needs of residents and local businesses will always be taken care of.

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