In a civil lawsuit, a person or company called the plaintiff brings another party, referred to as the defendant, to court. The plaintiff, or party that was injured in this case, typically with the help of an attorney, files a complaint, which is the first pleading in a civil action, stating the cause of the action. The plaintiff’s complaint asks for money or relief from a defendant who has been accused to have caused this injury. A summon is then issued by the court to the defendant. The summon provides notice of the lawsuit and a copy of the complaint. The defendant is then given a specified to show up in person to court.
Next phase is the discovery phase. Parties try to learn as much as they can about the nature of the case and discover the realness of the claims and defenses. This phase involves interviews with witnesses, requests for copies of documents, and even face-to-face sessions under oath, which are called depositions. After discoveries are completed and made, a trial date is set.
At the trial, the plaintiff presents evidence to the judge, and then the defendant gets an opportunity to present the defense side of the case. The judge or jury then takes the evidence from both parties and comes up with the verdict. The losing party can appeal the decision to an appeals court. The appeals court examines the record of the trial for reversible errors. Then the appeals court hears oral arguments from both sides then announces its decision, which will affirm or reverse the decision.
I believe that this is a very efficient and fair system. There is a reason why our litigation process is built like this, and it has been successful for hundreds of years. This process allows both parties to be able to be heard and gives each party a chance to defend themselves. This is the only way that a civil lawsuit can be taken care of and that is why we have one of the best