How Long Will A Lawsuit in San Diego Take?

Filing a lawsuit makes it possible to recover compensation for losses or monetary damages that someone has caused you or your business to experience. There are a huge variety of different lawsuits that can be filed including personal injury or wrongful death claims; breach of contract cases; and employment lawsuits after discrimination or wrongful termination. Lawsuits may also take the form of class actions. A class action occurs when the cases of many plaintiffs who suffered similar harms are all grouped together into one big case. court

Whenever you are involved in a  lawsuit in San Diego as either a plaintiff or a defendant, you may be concerned about how long it is going to take to resolve the legal matters.  A lawsuit can be a stressful and time consuming process in some cases and you need to know what to expect when you are involved with the civil court system. An experienced San Diego litigation lawyer at Sepahi Law Group, APC can handle your case for you, helping to move your claim through the court system and assisting in ensuring that you are responding in a timely manner to all court documents. With help from an attorney, you can ensure every possible step is taken to resolve your case in a timely manner in a way that protects your rights.

How Long Does a Lawsuit in San Diego Take?

After a lawsuit in San Diego is filed, the defendant must be served with notice of the legal action. The defendant has time to reply to the lawsuit and to file any countersuits that he or she wishes the court to consider. The parties to the lawsuit may need to come to court to argue a variety of pre-trial motions. Pre-trial motions raise issues that must be decided before the trial, such as what types of evidence should be admitted or whether the case should be dismissed due to lack of a valid legal claim.  The judge will decide on these pre-trial motions and the parties involved in the lawsuit will prepare their cases.

During this time, the discovery process also occurs, which means that requested or relevant documents are turned over from the other party. Witnesses may be deposed (interviewed in person and asked questions) or asked to complete interrogatories (written questions). An evidence list and witness list are prepared and any reluctant witnesses are subpoenaed.

When the parties have prepared their case, the lawsuit in San Diego will proceed to trial. Each of the parties will have the opportunity to present evidence and to offer opening and closing statements.  The jury or judge will consider the evidence and make a decision. In some cases, either party may appeal to a higher court if they do not believe the decision was appropriate.

The length of time that all this will take varies depending upon the circumstances. In some cases, the parties to the lawsuit are able to negotiate a settlement very early in the process and avoid all of the different steps associated with going to court. In other situations, the process can drag on for months or even years as paperwork and continuances pile up.

Resolving a lawsuit in San Diego quickly may be best for you because you won’t have a long ordeal, but you don’t want to settle for less than you should receive. Contact a San Diego litigation lawyer at Sepahi Law Group, APC for help to keep your case moving forward.

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