What do you mean by civil litigation? When more than two parties become involved in a legal dispute that seeks monetary compensation or specific performance as the remedy instead of criminal actions, then it is a case of civil litigation. The parties involved must then proceed to the courtroom for settlement of that dispute. It finally rests on the jury or judge to resolve that matter. A lawyer who represents clients in these kinds of litigation is known as a litigator. The broad spectrum of such litigation incudes housing law, environmental law, anti-trust litigation, landlord and tenant disputes, medical malpractice claims and workmen compensation claims.
Using the courts for settlement of disputes
Numerous questions may come into your mind regarding the strategy to be used if your matter ever lands into the court. Whenever you are confronting any such issue related to this branch of law, then you should consider hiring a Civil litigation lawyer Peoria IL. You should think of getting the assistance of an attorney because then you will have a person who will ensure the protection of your rights and will help you in steering you out of a complicated situation. Irrespective of the kind of case you are involved be it conflicts arising out of family relationships or breach of contract or any other dispute; you need a team of experts who have specialized knowledge to guide you in these situations.
Various stages of a case
The entire process can be divided into various stages. They are discovery, pretrial proceedings, potential settlement, investigation, pleadings, and appeal. A significant amount of time is spent on the discovery phase of a matter.
• Obtaining information
Subpoenas and interrogatories are included in this phase. Depositions and interrogations are questions in a lawsuit with the objective of obtaining evidence from the other parties. The former are questions which are required to be administered under oath while the latter include written questions. Subpoenas are requests for production of documents from third parties.
• Settlement among the parties
It may so happen not all lawsuits will pass through each stage. Some parties may settle during the trial or even after the jury has passed the verdict. In certain cases, disputes may be settled on certain aspects, and the remaining issues may be left with the jury. If a case passes through all the stages, then the entire matter can take several months to few years to settle.
Enquire about the cost structure
Various lawyers have different approaches towards billing. Some of the attorneys may charge on an hourly basis while there are others who may decide to take your case on a contingency basis. The term contingency implies that you will be entitled to make the payment subject to the winning of your matter. The general idea is if a lawyer decides to take up a case on contingency basis then you probably have a strong case. Often the rates differ with the location of your attorney’s office. It is of utmost importance that you check the fees beforehand.