What You Need to Know About Complex Civil Litigation:
Complex civil litigation cases are those involving multiple parties, large amounts of money, lengthy trials or complex legal issues and are heard by a single judge from the beginning to end.
Civil litigation involves several stages, including investigation, pleadings, discovery, pretrial proceedings, potential settlement or trial and appeal.
- Investigation: The first stage of the complex civil litigation process, investigation, involves a deep-dive into the case facts and a careful review of evidence and documentation that will be necessary during settlement negotiations or a trial.
- Pleadings: Pleadings is the stage that outlines what issues will be addressed within the case. Both parties put together a pleading, or a formal written statement, of their claims or defenses to the opposing party’s claims. The plaintiff is the first to file their pleading, in what is termed a complaint.
- Discovery: Typically the longest and most labor-intensive stage of a case, the discovery stage consists of the exchange of information pertinent to the case through depositions, interrogatories and subpoenas. Depositions and interrogatories involve questions posed under penalty of perjury to the parties in a lawsuit.
- Pretrial proceedings: Pretrial proceedings consist of conferences and motions between both parties and the trial judge involved in the trial. These proceedings are intended to help the court establish managerial control over the case, discourage any useless pretrial activities, improve overall trial quality and, potentially, facilitate a settlement.
- Potential settlement or trial: In most cases, a settlement is preferred by both parties, in which they are able to come to a mutual agreement without stepping into the courtroom. Should the case move forward to trial, the judge will determine what information will be heard in the courtroom, based off of the rules of evidence.
- Appeal: Should either party be disappointed with the ruling handed down during a trial, they can move forward in the appeals process, in which the case is reviewed in the hopes of having the decision changed or reversed. The appeals process serves as error correction and clarifying and interpreting the law.
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Complex civil litigation is time intensive, labor intensive and involves complex legal and factual issues. Complex litigation may also involve multiple parties, attorneys, geographically dispersed plaintiffs and defendants, numerous expert witnesses and subject matter experts, complicated testimony and extensive discovery. You need an attorney who can provide strategic guidance at each stage of the process.
Given the complexity of these cases, you need an attorney with substantial knowledge of the law, impressive trial presence, ability to manage voluminous electronic discovery and solid negotiation skills.
What’s Next?
The complex civil litigation attorneys at Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey LLC have the skills, resources and experience necessary to prepare a successful case no matter how complex. We approach each civil litigation case seeking amicable solutions that allow our clients to avoid needless expenses and/or risks of litigation. When necessary, we have extensive courtroom experience with bold trial techniques.
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Our attorneys are highly respected trial lawyers with a wealth of experience in a wide range of complex civil litigation cases. We are well positioned to help litigate a diverse range of legal matters no matter the level of complexity. Contact our attorneys today for your free consultation at (864) 523-7738 or online.
