Litigation Lawyers in Ponca City

"Civil procedure" in Ponca City, 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 Ponca City, Oklahoma are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, cost-effective, simple, and fair as possible.

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

Complaint: The first, and perhaps most important, part of filing a lawsuit in Ponca City, Oklahoma is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Ponca 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). Normally, 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, normally 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 show that he acted in self-defense, he likely will not be held liable.

Discovery: After the complaint has been filed in the Ponca City, 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 really very uncommon for lawsuits to go trial in Ponca City, Oklahoma, because the rules of civil procedure in Ponca City, and nearly everywhere else, encourage speedy resolution of legal disputes, before they ever see the inside of a courtroom. This is largely accomplished by judges dismissing cases that clearly have no merit, or the parties settling out of court. However, when neither of these things is possible, both sides of the lawsuit will have to hash it out in a trial, which can be the most stressful and expensive step in the process. It involves both sides of the case presenting their evidence and arguments to a jury and judge, and letting them decide the issues.

How Can a Ponca City, Oklahoma Lawyer Help?

If you are facing a legal issue of any kind in Ponca City, Oklahoma, you are going to face civil procedure issues.

In Ponca City, Oklahoma, procedural pitfalls can derail an otherwise-valid case. They can also be some of the most obtuse and convoluted issues in the whole case. Thus, you should not go into something like this without the counsel of an attorney.