Hazleton, Pennsylvania Civil Procedures

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Litigation Lawyers in Hazleton

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

In Hazleton, Pennsylvania, the civil procedure rules are meant to ensure that the civil litigation system is as efficient, accessible, fair, and cost-effective as possible.

Hazleton, Pennsylvania's civil procedure rules can get pretty intricate, however. They regulate every aspect of a civil action, from the filing of the complaint, to discovery, and all the way through trial and appeals.

Major Hazleton, Pennsylvania Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: When somebody believes that they have suffered a legal wrong in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and decide to file a lawsuit, the first document that they file with the court is typically the complaint. The complaint is very important, because it can frame the factual and legal issues, and set the tone, for the rest of the process. The complaint normally contains every factual allegation against the defendant that forms the basis of the plaintiff's lawsuit. It also contains a prayer for relief, in which the plaintiff lays out his or her desired remedies, if the court finds the defendant liable.

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: Once both sides have fired their opening volleys in the form of the complaint and answer, the next process in civil litigation in Hazleton, Pennsylvania is discovery. Under the civil procedure rules of most jurisdictions in the U.S., each side of a lawsuit is required by law to disclose relevant information to the other side. These disclosures come in the form of depositions, the production of documents, and answers to written questions submitted by opposing counsel.

Trial: It is truly quite rare for civil lawsuits in Hazleton, Pennsylvania to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Hazleton strongly encourage early resolution to cases by dismissal of lawsuits that have no merit, and negotiated settlement of those that do. However, when neither of those things happen, the case goes to trial. This is when a judge and jury decide the questions of law and fact, respectively, raised in the case. The jury then issues a verdict, based on the evidence presented to them.

How Can a Hazleton, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?

If you're facing a lawsuit in Hazleton, Pennsylvania whether as the plaintiff or defendant, you will have to deal with your jurisdiction's civil procedure rules.

It should go without saying that you should have a Hazleton, Pennsylvania attorney on hand to deal with any civil procedure issues that you're almost certain to face, if you're engaged in a lawsuit.

Talk to a Law Attorney now!

Life in Hazleton

Hazleton is home to 24,000 Luzerne County residents who enjoy a close proximity to nearby major metropolitan areas and outstanding city parks and recreational areas. Hazleton is known as "The Mountain City" and "The Power City" because of it's abundance of foothills and abundant coal supply. One fact of which you may not be aware is that Hazleton was originally spelled "Hazelton" but a clerk misspelled it during incorporation and it stuck.

In 2006, Hazleton garnered national attention when Mayor Lou Barletta and other counsel members passed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act which initially fined business owners ,000 for each illegal immigrant they employed as well as the loss of all city issued licenses and permits. The law was later thrown out because it was considered unconstitutional and was disputed by a number of lawsuits as well as the Pennsylvania ACLU among others. Office Max, Simmons Bedding Company, Michaels, AutoZone, WEIR Materials, Amazon.com, and EB Brands are some of the important companies who are major employers in Hazleton. There are also a number of every experienced lawyers. Hazleton lawyers are familiar with many different areas of law and use their knowledge of local courts to advise you.  

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