Virginia Civil Litigation Process

A litigation is a process by which parties who have not been able to resolve their own dispute turns to the court for assistance and resolution. It begins with a complaint, and the entire process has been designed to bring out facts so that each side can show the court their version of events. The court will decide who is right or who is wrong, will apportion blame and responsibility, and try to make the other party whole to the extent that it is possible. The Virginia civil litigation process is for problem-solving when two parties cannot do it themselves.

A seasoned civil litigation lawyer could help you with the process.

Parties Involved in the Litigation Process

There are numerous parties involved in the Virginia civil litigation process. There is a plaintiff, a defendant, the plaintiff’s lawyer, the defendant’s lawyer, and possibly third-party plaintiffs or defendants. Also, there will be the court and all the individuals who work at the court, which includes judges, clerks, and more.

Jury Selection Process

The jury selection process depends on the court date the plaintiff and defendant are in and the county that they are located in. There will be a certain number of people who are selected from the community. They have to appear in the court on the day they receive notice that they are in the jury pool. They go to court, and they sit there until their number is called. Then they go into a courtroom and the attorneys decide whether they want them in the case or not as a juror. There is a voir dire process where questions will be asked to see if they have any biases or if there is any reason why they cannot serve as jurors. In NoVa, the number of jurors varies from 5-12 depending on the case.

How Long Does the Litigation Process Last?

The civil litigation process in Virginia varies from case to case. Generally, it lasts anywhere from 90 days to a year and a half.  The court will enter a scheduling order early on in the case that tells the parties how long they have until trial. Virginia works a little bit differently than Maryland. In NoVa, they set their trial date at the beginning of the case, and they work backwards from there to determine the other deadlines that they have in the case, such as expert designation and close of discovery, but it is generally anywhere between 12 and 18 months from the filing to when the case is tried.

Attorneys may want to slow things down, especially defense attorneys, and witness availability is something that has to be considered. Sometimes things come up in the lives of the people involved, and there is nothing that can be done about it. Other times, witnesses cannot be found, and sometimes the court schedule is so busy that it cannot fit the trial until further into the future.

Call a Virginia Lawyer About the Civil Litigation Process

There are many ways that an attorney could help you with the Virginia civil litigation process. A lawyer could help you file a claim and fight for your right to compensation. If you have any questions about the litigation process and how a skilled lawyer could assist you, call today.