Top San Francisco, CA Litigation & Appeals Lawyers Near You

Do You Have a Civil Litigation Problem?

Civil litigation is the broad term used to cover the legal issues involved with civil legal disputes, which can end up as lawsuits. If you or your company has a dispute with someone else, seeking the advice of a San Francisco civil litigation attorney can save you time and money.

Types of Matters Litigated Civilly

Civil litigation differs from Criminal cases in that it deals with disputes between people that do not involve evaluating a crime. Civil disputes can include business problems, breach of contract, personal injury, and more.

Civil litigation occurs when one party (the plaintiff) initiates a civil lawsuit in court against another party (the defendant). Every State, city and municipality may differ in how they handle certain litigation procedures. The key elements of a civil litigation case include a complaint establishing the harm caused by the defendant, response to the complaint, pleading, discovery, trial and possibly an appeal.

Best Time to Seek Legal Help

No matter what your legal issue may be, it is always best to seek legal help early in the process. An attorney can help secure what is likely to be the best possible outcome for your situation and avoid both unnecessary complications or errors.

Tips on Approaching an Initial Attorney Consultation

• Use the consultation as a means of gaining a better understanding of your legal situation.
• Ask the attorney how many cases similar to yours he/she has handled. An attorney’s experience and knowledge can speak to their expertise (or lack of) in addressing your situation.
• Your attorney should be able to articulate roughly how long a case like yours will take to resolve and what sort of procedures to expect.
• Determine how comfortable you are working with the lawyer and/or law firm.

How to Find the Right Attorney

• Determine the area of law that relates to your issue. Attorneys specialize in specific practice areas around legal issues within the broad field of law.
• Seek out recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues. A successful attorney or practice will typically have many satisfied clients.
• Set up consultation appointments to get a better understanding of your case as well as gauge your comfort level with different attorneys. Find the attorney who is the right fit for your needs.

Common legal terms explained

Personal jurisdiction – Requirement that a particular court have authority over a person, in order to bind that person to the judgment of the court, based on minimum contacts. International Shoe Co v. Washington is a landmark Supreme Court case outlining the scope of a state court’s reach in personal jurisdiction.