Litigation Lawyers in Jefferson Hills

"Civil procedure" in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania is a very broad term, and it refers to the wide variety of rules that regulate how civil litigation is done. It is to be distinguished from substantive law, which controls the rights that civil litigation is meant to vindicate.

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

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

Major Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The complaint is probably the most important document that the plaintiff will file in a Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania lawsuit, and it is usually the first. The complaint contains all of the plaintiff's allegations against the defendant, as well as the relief that the plaintiff is asking the court to provide. Therefore, it can frame the tone, as well as the legal and factual issues, that will dominate the rest of the case.

Answer: The answer is usually the first document that the defendant files, and it is meant to serve as a direct response to the plaintiff's complaint. It usually denies all of the plaintiff's major allegations. It might also lay out affirmative defenses. An "affirmative defense" is a set of reasons that negate the defendant's liability even if their conduct would ordinarily be unlawful. For example, in a lawsuit for battery, a defendant might admit that he struck the plaintiff, but claim that he acted in self-defense. If that can be shown, it would negate, or mitigate, his liability to the plaintiff.

Discovery: Once the initial documents have been filed by both parties in the proper Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania court, the discovery process begins. "Discovery" refers to a wide range of disclosures that each side of the lawsuit must make to the other. Basically, everyone involved in the lawsuit has to disclose every piece of information in their possession (with some exceptions) that's relevant to the factual issues in the case. There are a few different methods that are employed in this procedure: each side can send written questions to the other, which must be answered under oath. They can also request documents, as well as access to physical evidence. They can also conduct depositions (in-person Q&A sessions) of parties and witnesses.

Trial: It is actually quite rare for civil lawsuits in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania to go to trial, since the rules of civil procedure in Jefferson Hills highly encourage early resolution to cases by dismissal of lawsuits that have no merit, and negotiated settlement of those that do. Nonetheless, when neither of those things happen, the case goes to trial. This is when a judge and jury determine 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 Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?

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

Because the rules of civil procedure in Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania are complex, it's smart to have the counsel of an experienced attorney through every step of the process.