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Frequently Asked Questions
- What should I consider before filing a lawsuit?
- What can I expect during our initial consultation?
- What can I expect after I retain your firm?
- What are your fees?
- How long does a lawsuit take?
- I’ve heard that suing someone can be very expensive. What are the typical expenses or costs involved in a lawsuit?
Read more in depth about the following topics:
- What is the timeline of a lawsuit?
- What is "discovery," and how does it affect my case preparation?
- What do I do if I am feeling descriminated against?
- What paperwork will I need to be aware of?
Q: What should I consider before filing a lawsuit?
A: A lawsuit can be time-consuming, stressful, and expensive experience. Sometimes there are simpler
options. Ask yourself these questions to help decide whether you’re ready to pursue legal action:
(1) Are there other possible ways to remedy your situation rather than filing a lawsuit? Have you considered an alternative like
mediation, neutral evaluation or arbitration? Have you tried to settle the matter by talking with the person you want to sue? Do
you think doing so might work? Have you reached a point where you feel that a lawsuit really is the best solution?
(2) Is the person or company you want to sue in a financial position to pay you if you win your case? If not, you may be wasting your
own time and money.
(3) Do you have a good case and are you still within the statute of limitations to sue? (If you don’t know, an attorney can help you with
these questions during an initial consultation.)
(4) Do you have the time to pursue a lawsuit? Lawsuits involve deadlines. Even if you have an attorney handling your case, you will
need to be available to answer questions, review documents, attend depositions and possibly attend court hearings. Your attorney will
depend on you to return phone calls and provide information in a timely fashion.
Q: What can I expect during our initial consultation?
A: A first meeting is simply an opportunity to find out whether our firm is a good match for you. During the initial
consultation, you’ll be asked many questions about the background facts of your situation to determine if we can help you and if the
law can provide a remedy for what happened.
During this first consultation, a consulting attorney will also determine whether our firm has the right expertise in handling your
unique case. Although we have expertise and experience in many areas of the law, we don’t specialize in certain types of law. Since
there are so many areas of the law, we will limit our discussion to areas that our firm knows and understands best.
Some things you may discuss during this consultation are:
(1) The facts of your case.
(2) Your expectations and whether our firm can help you realize them.
(3) Fee arrangements.
(4) Possible methods for resolving your particular matter.
(5) Issues or matters that our firm will not be able to assist you with.
Q: What can I expect after I retain your firm?
A: Once the firm is retained, we take appropriate action, whether that means sending a written demand to the potential
parties, filing a lawsuit or initiating other methods to help resolve your matter. We are committed to providing the highest level of
availability and accountability to our clients from the initial retention to the conclusion. You’ll be apprised of all important
developments, timelines and expectations in your case, and you can be assured that we will vigorously represent your interests from start
to finish.
Q: What are your fees?
A: Because the length and nature of each legal matter varies, we will discuss fees and options during the initial
consultation. We strive to provide the highest level of service at the lowest possible cost to you.
Q: How long does a lawsuit take?
A: The answer greatly depends on your case. The firm has no control over how long any particular case will take.
Typically, uncomplicated civil lawsuits in a fast-track jurisdiction take about a year to resolve after the initial filing.
Complex matters and courts that do not employ fast-track scheduling may take considerably longer. The delay or stalling tactics of the opposing
party may also affect the length of certain maters.
You can be confident, however, that the firm will work to advance its clients' cases as expeditiously as possible within the confines
of the court process. We believe that "justice delayed is justice denied."
Q: I’ve heard that suing someone can be very expensive. What are the typical expenses or costs
involved in a lawsuit?
A: For the average person, a lawsuit can be very expensive. Typical expenses may include court filing fees, deposition
fees, costs associated with subpoenaing witnesses and documents, expert witness fees and numerous other trial-related fees. In many
cases, expenses can easily exceed thousands of dollars or more. However, expenses and cost should not deter anyone from pursuing a
meritorious lawsuit. The costs of litigation should be discussed during the initial consultation with an attorney.
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