Civil Litigation
If you are considering bringing a lawsuit against a person or entity, or if you have been served with notice that another party has filed suit against you, you should speak to a civil litigation attorney at May Law, LLP. We have helped many clients successfully pursue and defend lawsuits for over 20 years, and we want to assist you. Our lawyers work hard to protect the rights of our clients and offer them exemplary representation in court.
Types of Civil Litigation
- When a person or entity, like a company, gets into a legal dispute with another party and seeks money, they must pursue civil litigation by filing a claim. While some civil litigation matters are settled out of court, others go to trial. If there is a trial, a jury or judge must decide on the civil matter. Here are some of the most common types of civil litigation for which you might consult a May Law attorney:
- Business law disputes
- Construction liability lawsuits
- Contract breach, negotiations, disputes and review prior to signing
- Employment Law (disputes between employers and employees, please see our Employment Law tab)
- Landlord/Tenant disputes
- Boundary/Easement disputes
- Personal Injury claims
- Divorce lawsuits (please see our Family Law tab)
- Custody claims or disputes (please see our Family Law tab)
Should I hire an attorney?
No matter what type of civil litigation matter you are dealing with, it may be in your best interest to work with an experienced civil litigation attorney – even if it is only for an initial consultation, to figure out the various paths your lawsuit may take. May Law attorneys are very familiar with all the steps that it takes to pursue or defend a civil litigation matter and we can simplify the process for you. Your attorney may help you gather evidence, fill out paperwork, and find expert witnesses. This can relieve a great deal of stress for individuals who have never filed a civil suit before, or who have never been the subject of a suit.
May Law, LLP attorneys will give you an honest assessment at our initial consultation as to whether or not you have a good claim, if and when you need to hire an attorney, and estimates on your time and money investment in worthwhile claims. Even if you have done nothing wrong, you should still invest money in a consultation specific to your situation upfront, so that you may be apprised of your rights, or where you may have made mistakes in upholding a contract, for example. Many clients say to us, “But why should I have to pay money to an attorney when I have done nothing wrong?” We understand your concerns, but the plain truth is that when you work, marry, buy a car or a home, or even walking down the street, you take the risk that there will be an accident or a misunderstanding, or that you get involved with a person or a company that is only concerned about themselves. There is nothing worse for your case than to realize too late that you should have consulted with an attorney at the start, even if your case (hopefully) does not end up in lengthy litigation.
How long does civil litigation take?
If you are pursuing civil litigation, you are probably wondering how long the process will take. No two civil litigation matters are the same. Some lawsuits may take just a few months while others may take over a year. The length of your lawsuit may depend on several different variables, such as the type of case and the number of parties involved. For example, if you have a small claim under $10,000, it probably will not take more than a few months to settle, especially if there is no discovery phase. However, if you are bringing a large lawsuit, it may take your civil litigation attorney at least a year to settle it. Scheduling is also affected by how busy the court’s docket is, whether or not a jury is needed, if there is complicated expert evidence required to prove or defend your claims, etc. Much of this is out of the parties’ or the attorneys’ control, but there are certainly ways an experienced lawyer can streamline the process – it is what we do for a living!
How Will I Pay my Lawyer?
Some civil litigation lawyers charge by the hour, while others work on a contingency basis. If a civil litigation attorney works on a contingency fee, you won’t have to pay any money upfront. He or she will take a percentage of your winnings. If you don’t win your case, you won’t owe your lawyer any money. This is typically the approach of a very large or multi-state law firm, the kind you see running ads on television, and works well with certain types of litigation – like Accident Law, for example.
At May Law, LLP, we treat all civil litigation matters seriously and work hard to help you obtain the compensation you deserve. We offer reasonably-priced initial consultations, in order to assess the validity and likelihood of success of your claim. If we know you don’t have a legitimate claim, or there is little chance of proving a promising claim, we will let you know up front the risks associated with pursuing your suit. There is no sense in spending money to pursue a claim that will not stand up in court.
We’re proud to offer trusted legal counsel for a variety of situations to residents throughout Northern Virginia, and the Commonwealth. We do not pressure clients to book an appointment or hire us for litigation when unnecessary – we don’t want to waste your time, or ours. But if you have been served with a lawsuit, or if you need to talk through your concerns before considering litigation with an attorney who has likely “seen it all,” you should contact a May Law attorney. Do not wait to hire an attorney to help you with your civil litigation matter. If you are searching for a civil litigation attorney, contact May Law, LLP at (703) 312-0410 today.