Litigation Lawyers in Whitefish Bay

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

If you're contemplating filing a lawsuit, there are various things you need to consider, and it is not a decision to be made lightly. You should not file a lawsuit without seeking the advice of a Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin civil litigation attorney first.

Once you contact a Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin litigation attorney, he or she will be able to advise you on your chances of succeeding in your lawsuit. Moreover, your lawyer can inform you on what a lawsuit is likely to cost, both in time and money. Obviously, your lawyer has some control over what it will cost you, based on their fees, and whether they bill an hourly rate, or charge on a contingency rate.

Steps for Filing a Lawsuit in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

Consultation With Your Attorney: Before filing any case in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, you should talk with a local attorney. Your Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin attorney will be able to advise you on the merits of your lawsuit, and your chances of success.

Drafting a Complaint: Once you have decided to go through with filing a lawsuit in a Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin court, you need to draft a complaint, with the help of your lawyer. A complaint is typically the initial step in actually filing a lawsuit. The complaint is the plaintiff's first opportunity to lay out the allegations against the defendant. If a complaint doesn't allege facts that add up to a legitimate lawsuit (that is, even if everything alleged in the complaint is true, the defendant has still not committed a legal wrong that the court can compensate), the case will have to be dismissed. When a case is dismissed for this reason, the court typically gives the plaintiff a chance to re-submit the complaint, with the errors corrected.

Serving The Defendant: Once you and your attorney have written a good complaint, and filed it with the court, it needs to be served on the defendant within a specific period of time. This is necessary under the law of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin to ensure that the defendant actually knows that he's being sued, and has time to find a lawyer and prepare a defense. Generally, the defendant should be served in person. However, when this isn't possible, service by mail is also acceptable in a few instances.

Await The Response: The defendant has a given amount of time to respond to your lawsuit, once they confirm that they've been served in Whitefish Bay, 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. Normally, 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 predetermined period of time, they are in "default," and basically lose the case automatically.

How Can A Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Tort Lawyer Help?

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

Thus, if you want to file a lawsuit against someone in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, you should not delay to talk with an attorney, who will be able to advise you on the best way to proceed.