Legal Processes Explained

If one seeks the help of a litigator, he or she may go through many if not all of the steps outlined in this section. Some are always necessary while others depend on the decisions and actions of the client and/or other involved parties. Some steps may be repeated again and again. All Court procedures and many other legal processes, like discovery (see below) are performed in accordance with the Rules of Court. The Rules of Court is a good place to find the requirements for most Court processes.

Limitation Periods

A limitation period is the time, set out by law, in which a person is allowed to start a lawsuit or file a complaint. If one feels he or she may at some time wish to sue or make a complaint, it is essential to see a lawyer as soon as possible to avoid missing deadlines. However, it is important not to assume a limitation period has passed and to just give up. Many areas of the law have different limitation periods. A lawyer can tell for certain whether there is still time to start a lawsuit or make a complaint.