Seek legal advice
If you have been served with court documents, the first thing to do is seek legal advice. Don’t dilly dally; you usually only have 21 days or even less to respond with a defence.
If you ignore the claim, a default judgement could be made against you, entitling the plaintiff to your assets, leading to possible freezing of your bank accounts, access to your paychecks, sales of houses, and even bankruptcy. So, it’s very important that you respond to court documents through the proper channels and in a timely way.
Litigation lawyers can lead you through this process to put you in the best place possible. They can cut through the legal jargon and ensure you respond to court demands on time and correctly, which can go a long way to decreasing your stress load. Sometimes, it is also possible to resolve disputes outside of the courtroom. Mediation is a less combative option that will save you legal fees.
Stay calm
It can feel pretty scary when someone sues you, and, in your panicked state, you may be tempted to ignore the court documents or respond to the person suing you in a way that you may later regret. Calmly contact some well-regarded litigation lawyers in your city or town, and make the most of their advice.
They are professionals in this field, and they can turn things around for you before you make any rash decisions. After talking to a lawyer, you may find things are not as bad as you first thought or that you’ve been falsely sued. The main thing is to get that professional advice so that you present yourself to the court in the best way possible if it comes to that.
Be confidential
There are people you can talk to openly and confidentially, but note that most communications with people will be available to a court of law. So, you might want to be careful about what you say and to whom.
When in doubt, just talk to your lawyer about the case. Don’t give people a reason to gossip or provide incriminating “evidence” that the claimant can later use against you. Note that even psychologists’ notes can be subpoenaed in some instances. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t talk to your therapist about what can be a very stressful process, just leave out any specifics of the case to be safe.
Keep a record
Our memories can really fail us at the best of times, but especially when put under pressure. So, making a written record of everything you remember about the incident that the claim refers to is worthwhile.
Go into as much detail as possible, and if you can work out dates and times when specific events occurred, that is handy. If you have evidence to back up your side of the story, share it with your lawyer so they can make good use of it in defending you. Also, share your written-down memory of the incident with your lawyer too.
Get the right advice with P&B Law
It doesn’t matter why you are being sued. Our experienced litigation lawyers are here to help. They can advise you on how to respond to a court order. They can also offer guidance on making any counterclaim.
Contact us ASAP to get your matter resolved.