It’s not uncommon to find people defending themselves in certain cases where a lawyer is not necessary. Even though it’s not recommended to do that without consulting with a lawyer, there are a few tips and tricks that you can keep up your sleeve to facilitate the winning of a court case. You need to understand that winning a case doesn’t necessarily have to be getting out of it without any damage at all. The most favorable scenario for you as a defendant or plaintiff can only come if you focus on creating the best advantage with what you’ve been dealt with. To help you wrap your head around the factors affecting the outcome of a court case, we’ve created a brief and informative guide.
Avoid Revenge Litigation
One of the common mistakes that many people make, that any lawyer in their sound mind would advise you against, is going after someone legally or litigating them out of spite or for revenge. No one that will get hurt out of this process except you, if the whole purpose of the lawsuit or court case is to take revenge. You’ll be costing yourself expenses, stress, and health in the process, which aren’t things that you should take lightly. If there are other ways to settle this case with someone or entity aside from the court, you should probably pursue them.
Finding the Right Lawyer
If you really want to win a court case, you don’t really have a lot of options except for hiring a professional lawyer. A seasoned trial attorney knows how to present evidence and arguments in a court case. If you’re presenting a case regarding contested estate, which can take a long time to be resolved, you want attorneys with a lot of experience in probate courts and knowledgeable in substantive law. Criminal defense lawyers may specialize in specific fields as well. You’ll want to find a lawyer that specializes in the exact area of the law that the court case is in, but you need to set your budget accordingly because they are often pricier than general ones. You’ll want to check their trial success and settlement ratios, which you can often find on their website or by directly asking them.
Mediation
Before a judge allows a case to move forward in their court, they require that the litigants try to reach a resolution through the usage of a professional mediator. This can sometimes be in your favor because it will save you a lot of time and expenses because a resolution may be reached much quicker. You should try to provide the mediator with what they need and to cooperate to reach a fulfilling resolution.
Take the Wheel
Lawyers are full of confidence because the court is where they get to legally battle it out. Avoid being too complacent with your resolution in the case. You need to be able to be the master of your case and call the shots which you deem necessary. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to your lawyers or advisors, but you need to draw a balanced line of what you hold absolutely necessary in this case and try to find a way to make it possible. You don’t want to send your lawyer mixed signals about the most satisfactory result for you, i.e. a certain settlement amount.
Draft Your Complaint
Your complaint should contain all the facts behind your dispute laid out in a clear sense. It also should have the resolution you find fit for the troubles you went through. Being clear in the complaint you are going to provide is an extremely important step in winning the case. Sometimes, you will find a plaintiff which you can fill without worrying about what needs to be provided and what’s not. If you are not sure whether this form is available at your court, make sure to ask the clerk to inform you if it’s available. If you have decided to win the case without the help of professionals and this form isn’t available, then you can use any form provided by the New York Court system as a reference for your complaint
Filing the Lawsuit in the Right Court
It’s important to be able to determine the type of court that you’re going to file a lawsuit in. As a plaintiff, you don’t want to file your case in a court that has no jurisdiction over the defendant. It’s pretty easy for the defendant to dismiss the case if the jurisdiction of the court doesn’t apply to them. You can know whether the court has jurisdiction over the defendant by determining if the defendant lives or has business in the same district, the events of the lawsuit happened in the same area, or a contract binds the defendant for work in the district.
Research the Statute of Limitations
A lot of people can easily compromise their case by submitting it on the wrong date. The statute of limitations is a certain time window that differs according to the state. Even though there are some charges that have no statute of limitations like arson and kidnapping, the majority have a specific time limit. The statute of limitations should be your worry if you discover that you can file a lawsuit after a certain incident took place a long while ago.
Dismissing a Case as a Defendant
As a defendant, you can file a motion to dismiss a court case immediately, without the need to go through with the process of answering a complaint against you. If the statute of limitations expired, the case would be dismissed almost instantly. If the plaintiff didn’t mention a claim, such as negligence, the law would be on your side because you wouldn’t owe the plaintiff anything. You can also find out if the court that the case has been filed in the wrong one, so you could file a motion to dismiss.
A court case is not something that should be ever taken lightly, no matter how trivial it may seem to you. Whether you’re a lawyer or someone interested in making sure there are no loose ends in their case, understanding how the legal system is imperative to your success in winning the case.