Litigation Lawyers in Duncanville

If you are a resident of Duncanville, Texas and believe that somebody has committed a legal wrong against you, and have determined that the effort and expense involved in seeking payment is worth it, you may consider filing a lawsuit.

If you think that you may want to file a lawsuit, you should not make this decision easily, and there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account. Obviously, you should never go into a lawsuit without at least consulting a reliable Duncanville, Texas civil litigation attorney.

When you contact a civil litigation lawyer in Duncanville, Texas, they'll be able to give you some extremely useful advice, especially in devising a strategy that maximizes your chances of winning your lawsuit. You'll probably also wonder how much this lawsuit is going to cost you, especially if you don't win. This largely depends on the attorney's fee structure. If the attorney charges an hourly rate, you will simply have to pay the lawyer for every hour they work. This can add up to a huge amount of money, very rapidly. If they charge on a contingency basis, you do not have to pay any attorney's fees unless you win, and payment comes in the form of the percentage of the judgment. However, if you lose, you might still be responsible for costs, such as court fees, which are incurred no matter what happens to the case.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Duncanville, Texas

Consultation with your attorney: Before you proceed with any legal action in Duncanville, Texas, you should seek the advice and counsel of a seasoned Duncanville, Texas attorney. He or she will be indispensable in helping you succeed in your lawsuit.

Drafting the complaint: In Duncanville, Texas, once you have decided to file a lawsuit, the initial thing you normally have to do is draft a complaint. The complaint is a document that contains all of the allegations you're making against the defendant (the person whom you are suing). It normally must allege all of the facts necessary to constitute a cause of action, though in some systems, very few facts are strictly required to be alleged. It also usually has, at the end, a "prayer" (request) for relief. This final section tells the court what type of relief the plaintiff wants, should the court rule in the plaintiff's favor.

Serving The Defendant: Once you, or your lawyer, have drafted a complaint, the defendant must be served with it, so they have notice that they're being sued, and are given time to prepare a defense. Duncanville, Texas has certain rules governing how a complaint must be served, for the service to be valid. Personal service (having someone give the documents directly to the defendant) is preferred. However, some courts will also accept service by mail in limited circumstances, or service upon an adult member of the defendant's household.

Await The Response: The defendant has a specific amount of time to respond to your lawsuit, once they confirm that they've been served in Duncanville, Texas. The defendant will likely respond with an answer to your complaint. An answer is a document in which the defendant admits or denies the specific factual allegations made by the plaintiff. Usually, the defendant will admit the allegations that are not seriously in dispute (for instance, if the lawsuit concerns a car accident, they'll probably admit that an accident did, in fact, take place), but deny the more serious allegations (they'll probably deny that they were responsible for the accident). If the defendant fails to respond within a specific period of time, they are in "default," and basically lose the case automatically.

How Can A Duncanville, Texas Tort Lawyer Help?

This simple outline is meant to give you a basic idea of what goes into filing a lawsuit in Duncanville, Texas, but it is by no means a comprehensive guide.

Thus, it is essential that you consult a qualified civil litigation attorney before you file any type of lawsuit in Duncanville, Texas.