Litigation Lawyers in Hightstown

If you are in Hightstown, New Jersey 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 think that filing a lawsuit is a good choice in seeking redress, you should not rush into this decision. A lawsuit is a time-consuming and costly process. You should not make a final decision without talking to a Hightstown, New Jersey attorney.

Your Hightstown, 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 avenues 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 Hightstown, New Jersey

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

Drafting The Complaint: Once you determine that pursuing a lawsuit in Hightstown, New Jersey 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, or your lawyer, have drafted a complaint, the defendant must be served with it, so they have notice that they're being sued, and are given time to prepare a defense. Hightstown, New Jersey has particular rules governing how a complaint must be served, for the service to be valid. Personal service (having someone give the documents directly to the defendant) is preferred. However, some courts will also accept service by mail in limited circumstances, or service upon an adult member of the defendant's household.

Await The Response: The defendant has a given amount of time to respond to your lawsuit, once they confirm that they've been served in Hightstown, New Jersey. The defendant will likely respond with an answer to your complaint. An answer is a document in which the defendant admits or denies the specific factual allegations made by the plaintiff. Normally, the defendant will admit the allegations that are not seriously in dispute (for instance, if the lawsuit concerns a car accident, they'll probably admit that an accident did, in fact, take place), but deny the more serious allegations (they'll probably deny that they were responsible for the accident). If the defendant fails to respond within a predetermined period of time, they are in "default," and basically lose the case automatically.

How Can A Hightstown, New Jersey Tort Lawyer Help?

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

Thus, it is critical that you consult a qualified civil litigation attorney before you file any type of lawsuit in Hightstown, New Jersey.