Litigation is the legal process of resolving disputes in court. Litigation occurs when a person or corporation, called the plaintiff, files suit against another person or corporation, called the defendant. This can result from a wide variety of issues from breach of contract to negligence.
The litigation process typically begins with the plaintiff’s attorney filing a “petition” in court which names the defendant and states their alleged violations. When the defendant receives notice of the suit, they have a certain amount of time to contact an attorney and file a response with the court. The litigation process can be lengthy and involves submitting written briefs to the court, reviewing evidence, and conducting interviews. Many cases are resolved without the need of a trial. In some cases, however, trials are necessary to fully determine the rights and obligations of both parties.
If you feel you have been wronged by a person or business, you only have a certain amount of time to file your claim before you lose the opportunity forever; this is called a “statute of limitations.” If you have received notice that you are being sued, you only have a short time to respond before the court automatically decides in the other party’s favor; this is called a “default judgment.” Either way, time is of the essence and the professional attorneys at Hartsfield & Egbert Law Firm can help you through this process every step of the way.
