Civil litigation is the legal process used when there is a dispute between two parties and the resolution of the dispute is handled through the courts. The litigation process is conducted under formal rules of procedure starting right at the early stages of the case up to and including a trial.
The party that initiates the action in a civil dispute is known as the plaintiff. The party named in the complaint is known as the defendant. The complaint itself is little more than a statement describing the details of the dispute and in the vast majority of cases asks for a specific monetary amount in the way of compensation for damages. The complaint is delivered to the defendant by an officer of the court, in many cases it is the sheriff. Once the named defendant receives the formal complaint he or she has a specific period of time given to them in which to answer the complaint. It is at this time the named party will engage the services of civil litigation lawyers in Chicago to represent them in defending themselves against the action.
Once the named defendant has filed an answer with the court, the action enters the discovery phase. The rules that apply to discovery in a civil action have been designed to describe the various issues of the dispute before it gets to trial, this is done so the trial is based on the merits of the case and that during the trial there will be no surprises. The discovery process allows the civil litigation lawyers in Chicago that are representing their clients to exchange relevant information as well as taking depositions from other people involved, perhaps as witnesses to the alleged event. Upon the completion of the discovery phase the court normally schedules a pre-trial conference to ensure that any outstanding issues are brought to the fore and resolved prior to trial.
An integral component of the entire civil litigation process is making a specific request to the court for injunctive relief. These types of motions, if granted by the court may have a substantial impact on the outcome of the case. Prior to and during the trial the civil litigation lawyers in Chicago can make numerous motions all of which have to be studied, this invariably results in a long, drawn out process that can be quite costly in terms of time, money and frustration.
Civil litigation lawyers in Chicago are often brought in if an individual has been injured as a result of another party’s negligence. You are invited to discuss your specific situation with the lawyers at the Zimmerman Law Offices. Visit them online at Civil Litigation Lawyers Chicago.
