Finding A Civil Litigation Lawyer

Litigation is a unique skill among lawyers and requires a dramatically different set of skills between criminal law and civil law. In general, civil litigation is a far more nuanced and specialized field of law than most other forms of law. Civil court procedure can vary greatly between jurisdictions, and often it's important to find a civil litigator who is not only well versed in the type of civil case involved, but also with the civil court in which it will be heard.

In a general sense, however, there are certain aspects of civil law that remain uniform, regardless of the jurisdiction. The entire premise of civil law is predicated on the common law concept of malfeasance — that being, that there must be an injured party, and a party that is responsible for the injury (whether due to negligence or not — the malfeasor).

In order to have a valid case, the injured party must be able to prove some type of quantifiable loss (emotional, property, wages, peace of mind, etc). The grounds for the suit are just as important as any other part of the civil case process. A civil litigation lawyer is the key to the success of a case from start to finish.

In particular, a civil litigation lawyer can qualify the specific merit of the case, and even help to decide the best way to file the case for the greatest possibility of success. Filing is far from the most difficult or time-consuming part of the process. After filing there will usually be a requirement for initial arguments before a civil court judge, as well as counter motions from the opposing party's counsel. In fact, it's not uncommon for the motion/counter-motion legal detente to comprise a significant portion of the overall litigation process. Without the assistance of a competent civil lawyer, the possibility of making a simple mistake by omission or ignorance is fairly likely.

Assuming all the motions have been filed and settled, then the discovery process begins in earnest. This is where an attorney can help with the process of knowing what type of documentation to request from the other party, as well as how to request them. The process of then scouring said documents for relevant information can be a herculean task, in and of itself.

Also, it's quite typical in a civil case for depositions to take place (of all parties involved in the case).  A civil attorney can help to make sure your interests are represented and protected in all said depositions. And, as with all legal endeavors, the success or defeat of a case often is decided in the court itself. A skilled civil litigator will know exactly how to argue the case in court, to help ensure the best possible outcome.

For more information, contact a civil litigation lawyer.


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