Civil Litigation

What Is It? Broadly speaking, civil litigation is everything that is not “criminal litigation.” Usually civil litigation is between one party who is seeking a remedy from another party. Examples of civil litigation include:

Breach of Contract

Business Dissolutions

Contract Litigation

Landlord Tenant Disputes

Real Estate Litigation

Regulatory Compliance

Real Estate Litigation

And Many More

What is Commonly Involved? When two parties have a dispute, there are several different ways to resolve the issues. Typically, the civil litigation process entails an investigative stage, demands and initial court filings, discovery, pretrial proceedings, potential settlement, trial by judge or jury, and even an appeal. Discovery is typically the longest and most labor-intensive stage of a case as it may involve answering written questions, producing documents, and depositions.

Not every lawsuit passes through each of these stages. In fact, most do not because the majority of lawsuits are settled by agreement of the parties and never go to trial. The parties can settle the matter informally or with the help of a mediator. When involving the courts to resolve a civil dispute, parties may have a choice to use Wyoming’s Chancery Court. When a case does go all the way to trial, the entire process can take anywhere from a few months to several years.

Where do I start? It is likely that there are strict deadlines (known as statues of limitations) that, if missed, bars a party from filing a lawsuit and recovering damages. Therefore, it may be necessary to consult an attorney to ensure that an individual’s rights are properly preserved.

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice but rather general legal information for your enjoyment.