Litigation Lawyers in Stillwater

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

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

Complaint: The initial, and perhaps most significant, part of filing a lawsuit in Stillwater, Oklahoma is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Stillwater, 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 just a statement of what the plaintiff is asking the court to do to remedy the harm that the defendant allegedly caused.

Answer: After the plaintiff files the complaint, the defendant has to act. While they have a few avenues 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. Occasionally, 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 Stillwater, Oklahoma court of competent jurisdiction, the next important 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: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in Stillwater, Oklahoma, it is really very rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Stillwater 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 Stillwater, Oklahoma Lawyer Help?

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

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