Filing a Lawsuit in Appleton, Wisconsin

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Litigation Lawyers in Appleton

Residents of Appleton, Wisconsin who suffer legal wrongs are normally legally entitled to compensation for harm they incurred as a result. This compensation is normally obtained by filing a lawsuit.

If you wish to file a lawsuit, there are many things you need to consider, and the decision to sue someone should not be made without the counsel of an Appleton, Wisconsin civil litigation attorney.

Once you have retained an attorney in Appleton, Wisconsin, he or she will be able to help you devise a strategy on how to proceed, which will hopefully maximize your chances of success in your lawsuit. Your lawyer can also provide you a rough idea of how much the lawsuit is likely to cost, taking into account court fees, expert witness fees, and other costs.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Appleton, Wisconsin

Consultation with your attorney: Before you continue in any legal action in Appleton, Wisconsin, you should speak with a seasoned local attorney in Appleton, Wisconsin. Your legal counsel can make sure you have the best possible chance of winning your case, and help you decide if you should file your lawsuit in the first place.

Drafting the complaint: In Appleton, Wisconsin, 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: After you draft your complaint, and file it with the court, you have to let the defendant know that they're being sued. The law of Appleton, Wisconsin states that the defendant be given advance notice of the lawsuit as a matter of general fairness: if you were being sued, you'd want to be given time to find a lawyer and prepare your defense strategy, right? So, with that in mind, the law prefers that defendants be served personally, typically through the use of a paid process server.

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 Appleton, Wisconsin. 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 Appleton, Wisconsin Tort Lawyer Help?

Filing a lawsuit in an Appleton, Wisconsin court is a bit more complex than the basic outline laid out above.

Thus, it is critical that you consult a qualified civil litigation attorney before you file any type of lawsuit in Appleton, Wisconsin.

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Life in Appleton

Appleton is located in both Calumet and Winnebago Counties of Wisconsin. Surrounding waters include the Fox River and Green Bay. Per the 2010 census, it has a population of 78.086 people.

Some popular attractions include the Appleton Art Center, the Gardens of the Fox Cities, Goodland Field, The History Museum at the Castle, John Hart Whorton House, Temple Zion, Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.

Top employers include the school district, Miller Electric, St. Elizabeth Hospital, Outagamie County, West Business Services, Valley Packaging Industries and Voith.

Although the legal industry is not included in the top employers list, Appleton is home to many small law offices that provide legal services in practically all areas of practice. Thus, residents do not have to travel far to have their legal needs tended to.

Famous residents include Myrt Basing, Rocky Bleier, Brian Butch, Willem Dafoe, J.P. Hayes, Erik Jensen, Ron Kostelnik, and Terry Zwigoff.

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