Litigation Lawyers in Collinsville

"Civil procedure" in Collinsville, Oklahoma is a very broad term, and it refers to the wide variety of rules that control how civil litigation is conducted. It is to be distinguished from substantive law, which governs the rights that civil litigation is meant to vindicate.

The rules of civil procedure in Collinsville, Oklahoma are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, affordable, simple, and fair as possible.

The rules of civil procedure in Collinsville, Oklahoma are sometimes convoluted. Because civil litigation is an inherently complicated process, the rules that govern how it proceeds can't be simple, either. They govern every step of the litigation process, from filing the initial complaint, all the way to the final appeals process.

Major Collinsville, Oklahoma Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The complaint is probably the most important document that the plaintiff will file in a Collinsville, Oklahoma lawsuit, and it is normally the first. The complaint contains all of the plaintiff's allegations against the defendant, as well as the relief that the plaintiff is asking the court to provide. Thus, it can frame the tone, as well as the legal and factual issues, that will dominate the rest of the case.

Answer: After the plaintiff files the complaint, the defendant has to act. While they have a few options at this stage of the game, most defendants elect to file an answer. The answer is the defendant's first direct response to the plaintiff's allegations. Sometimes, the answer contains a general denial, in which the defendant simply denies everything the plaintiff alleges. It might also contain a point-by-point addressing of every allegation the plaintiff makes, denying some, and admitting some.

Discovery: After the complaint has been filed in the Collinsville, Oklahoma 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 received by sending the other side written questions, which must be answered under oath, demanding access to documents, and deposing witnesses.

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

How Can a Collinsville, Oklahoma Lawyer Help?

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

Because the rules of civil procedure in Collinsville, Oklahoma are complicated, it's smart to have the counsel of an accomplished attorney through every step of the process.