The Whitfield Law Firm
A guide of whats to come
An Introduction
If you are reading this, you have, or are thinking about, hiring the Whitfield Law Firm to help you in a court case. We are going to help guide you through the basics of the court, so it will not be as confusing when you arrive for your case.
The Basics
When you have decided to give us a call, you would have probably already sent a complaint about someone, making you the plaintiff, or if someone sent a complaint about you, the defendant. Then, you will most likely get a summons to court, telling you the specific time and day to appear in court. Then you would have to plead for your case, or just formally submit your claims (or if you a defendant, your defense). However before that, the court may hold a pretrial conference of the parties, where they will narrow issues, figure out how many witnesses will be called, the length of the trial, and other things of that nature.
A Little More
They will deliver a verdict, or decision, on your case through preponderance of evidence, or which side has the best and most believable evidence. If the court cannot come up with a verdict, they will settle your case by mediation, or the use of a neutral third party, or by using an arbitrator, a neutral person trained in problem solving. Finally, if you lose the case, and you feel it should be re-examined, you can ask for an appeal, and it then will be sent to the court of appeals, which will re-evaluate you case, with all the evidence provided in the first trial.