Litigation Lawyers in Burien

In Burien, Washington, civil procedure is clearly what it sounds like: it refers to the laws that control how civil litigation is done.

The rules of civil procedure in Burien, Washington are designed to make the process of civil litigation as efficient, low-cost, simple, and fair as possible.

In Burien, Washington, civil litigation is usually extremely difficult. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that the rules of civil procedure can also be fairly intricate. After all, they govern everything from the first document filed by the plaintiff, to the last ruling issued by an appeals court.

Major Burien, Washington Civil Procedure Issues

Complaint: The initial, and perhaps most significant, part of filing a lawsuit in Burien, Washington is the complaint. The complaint is filed with the court in Burien, Washington 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: The answer is a document filed by the defendant, in response to a complaint. The answer normally contains a few things: usually, it denies most of the allegations made by the plaintiff. If it does not deny the factual assertions in the complaint, it will normally raise legal defenses, known as affirmative defenses, arguing that even if everything the plaintiff alleges is true, the defendant should not be held liable, because of extenuating circumstances.

Discovery: Once both sides have fired their opening volleys in the form of the complaint and answer, the next procedure in civil litigation in Burien, Washington is discovery. Under the civil procedure rules of most jurisdictions in the U.S., each side of a lawsuit is obligated 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: Although the trial is arguably the most dramatic element of civil procedure in Burien, Washington, it is really very rare for civil lawsuits to make it this far. Civil procedure in Burien 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 Burien, Washington Lawyer Help?

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

Civil Procedure in Burien, Washington can be pretty difficult. It's always a good idea to have a lawyer who can advise you on how best to deal with these civil procedure issues.