Litigation Lawyers in Kirtland

In Kirtland, Ohio, "civil procedure" is a broad term that refers to all of the laws that regulate the process of civil litigation. Procedural law (such as civil procedure) is distinguished from substantive law, which regulates the rights and obligations that the civil justice system is designed to protect.

Kirtland, Ohio'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 Kirtland, Ohio, 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 Kirtland, Ohio Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The first, and perhaps most important, part of filing a lawsuit in Kirtland, Ohio is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Kirtland, Ohio that's responsible for handling civil trials. It lists everything that the plaintiff (the person who is suing) alleges against the defendant (the person the plaintiff is suing). Typically, but not always, the end of the complaint will contain a "prayer for relief." The prayer for relief is simply a statement of what the plaintiff is asking the court to do to remedy the harm that the defendant allegedly caused.

Answer: The answer is a document filed by the defendant, in response to a complaint. The answer typically contains a few things: normally, it denies most of the allegations made by the plaintiff. If it does not deny the factual assertions in the complaint, it will typically raise legal defenses, known as affirmative defenses, arguing that even if everything the plaintiff alleges is true, the defendant should not be held liable, because of extenuating circumstances.

Discovery: After the complaint has been filed in the Kirtland, Ohio court of competent jurisdiction, the next major phase is the discovery process. In a civil lawsuit, there are not supposed to be any surprises (so the dramatic moments you see in TV trials are largely fiction). This predictability largely comes from the discovery process. Each side of the lawsuit has to disclose information relevant to the lawsuit to the other. This information can be acquired by sending the other side written questions, which must be answered under oath, demanding access to documents, and deposing witnesses.

Trial: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in Kirtland, Ohio, it is truly extremely rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Kirtland is designed to encourage early settlement of cases, or dismissal of cases that don't have any legal or factual merit. However, in the rare cases when the case is not dismissed, and the parties can't reach a settlement, the matter will go to trial. A trial is the most visible aspect of civil litigation, and it is the stage when all of the legal and factual questions raised by both parties are resolved by a judge and jury, respectively.

How Can a Kirtland, Ohio Lawyer Help?

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

The rules of civil procedure in Kirtland, Ohio are not always simple or intuitive. With that in mind, it's very important to have a knowledgeable attorney on your side, to help you through the process.