Michigan

The Michigan Litigation Process - An Overview

This is the first in a series of posts about the Michigan litigation process.

At some point, an entrepreneur or small business may find themselves either a defendant in a lawsuit or contemplating filing a lawsuit against someone else. No one should feel hesitant or embarrassed to hire a lawyer to pursue a legitimate claim or file a legitimate lawsuit to protect their rights. Similarly, no one should feel shy about vigorously defending themselves if they find themselves a defendant in litigation.

Often times, however, people do not understand how time consuming and complex a legal case can be and how long it can sometimes take to ultimately settle or resolve a claim or a lawsuit. These mistaken or unrealistic expectations can lead to nasty surprises and great frustration. Therefore, it is imperative that any entrepreneur or small business facing litigation (either as a plaintiff or defendant) have a clear understanding of the litigation process and what they can expect during a lawsuit.

A lawsuit typically proceeds through five basic phases:

1. Filing of initial pleadings.

2. The discovery phase.

3. Filing of motions for summary disposition

4. Trial.

5. Post-trial or appellate phase.

It is also important to understand that each case is unique. The five basic phases listed above are just that, an overview of the five basic phases in a typical litigation case. Depending on the particular circumstances of a case, things could be a little different than my outline above. Indeed, that uncertainty and possible complexity make it very important for you to hire a knowledgeable and experienced Michigan litigation attorney to assist you when facing litigation.

I'll give some more details of the basic five phases of a litigation case in later posts.

Full post as published by Michigan Business Lawyer Blog on February 18, 2008 (boomark / email).