Litigation Lawyers in Oklahoma County

"Civil procedure" in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma is a very broad term, and it refers to the wide variety of rules that regulate 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 Oklahoma County, Oklahoma are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, cost-effective, simple, and fair as possible.

Civil litigation, however, is inherently complex. So, there is no getting around the fact that the civil procedure rules in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma are also going to be somewhat complicated 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 County, Oklahoma Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The first, and perhaps most important, part of filing a lawsuit in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Oklahoma County, 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). Usually, 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: Once the complaint is filed, the ball is in the defendant's court, so to speak. In the answer, the defendant has an opportunity to respond to all of the factual allegations made by the plaintiff, usually by denying them. The defendant might also raise affirmative defenses, which could prevent the defendant from being held liable. For example, 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 prove 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 County, Oklahoma court, the next major civil procedure issue comes up. Discovery is the process in which both sides of the lawsuit are required to disclose required 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 County, Oklahoma, it is actually extremely rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Oklahoma County 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 Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Lawyer Help?

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

Civil Procedure in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma can be pretty complicated. It's always a good idea to have a lawyer who can advise you on how best to deal with these civil procedure issues.