Litigation Lawyers in Oklahoma City
"Civil procedure" in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is a very broad term, and it refers to the wide variety of rules that govern how civil litigation is done. It is to be distinguished from substantive law, which controls the rights that civil litigation is meant to vindicate.
The rules of civil procedure in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, inexpensive, simple, and fair as possible.
Civil litigation, however, is inherently complicated. So, there is no getting around the fact that the civil procedure rules in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma are also going to be somewhat confusing and obtuse (or at least parts of them are). Remember, these rules govern every single thing that happens in a civil lawsuit, from the first complaint, to the last appeal.
Major Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Civil Procedure Issues
Complaint: The initial, and perhaps most significant, part of filing a lawsuit in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 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 just a statement of what the plaintiff is asking the court to do to remedy the harm that the defendant allegedly caused.
Answer: Once the complaint is filed, the ball is in the defendant's court, so to speak. In the answer, the defendant has an chance to respond to all of the factual allegations made by the plaintiff, typically by denying them. The defendant might also raise affirmative defenses, which could keep the defendant from being held liable. For instance, if the defendant is accused of battery, and he did, in fact, batter the plaintiff, he might admit to that fact, but claim that the plaintiff was the aggressor, and he acted purely in self-defense. If he can establish that he acted in self-defense, he likely will not be held liable.
Discovery: Once the complaint and answer have been filed in an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma court, the next major civil procedure issue comes up. Discovery is the procedure in which both sides of the lawsuit are obligated to disclose obligated evidence to one another. The lawyers for each side can submit written questions, which the other party is required to answer under oath, unless the information is privileged. Each side can also request any relevant documents, physical evidence, and can conduct depositions of witnesses and parties to the lawsuit.
Trial: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, it is truly very rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Oklahoma City is designed to encourage early settlement of cases, or dismissal of cases that don't have any legal or factual merit. Nonetheless, 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 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Lawyer Help?
If you're facing any substantial legal issue in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, you can be pretty much sure that you'll face at least a few procedural complications that can hold up the process.
It should go without saying that you should have an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost sure to face, if you're engaged in a lawsuit.
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