Central Ohio Lawsuit Attorneys - Defense of a Lawsuit

Sometimes having a lawsuit filed against you comes out of the clear blue, and sometimes it is somewhat expected.  However, all the time it is very stressful and can be a traumatic and nerve wracking experience.  The attorneys at Harris & Engler are well versed in defending civil lawsuits.  If you are being sued, then you need an attorney to best look after your interests.  

The law firm of Harris & Engler helps clients who have had lawsuits filed against them (or otherwise) across Central Ohio, including in Franklin County, Delaware County, Union County, and Fairfield County.  You can call an attorney at Harris & Engler to talk about what to do if you've been sued by calling (614) 610-9988.

Named as a Defendant in a Lawsuit - "I've Been Sued"

The best thing to do after you've discovered that a lawsuit has been filed against you is to contact an attorney as soon as possible.  Timing is very important in lawsuits.  Once you've been served with a summons and copy of the Complaint, the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure require that an "Answer" be filed to the Complaint within 28 days of service of the Complaint.  If you fail to file an Answer within 28 days, then a "Default Judgment" could be obtained against you.

A default judgment is a Court Order that basically grants the party who filed a lawsuit against you everything that they asked for in the Complaint.  If they asked for a certain amount of money, then they will be granted that amount of money.  If they asked for an uncertain amount of money, then they will have an opportunity to present evidence to the Court as to what that amount should be, but they will have essentially already "won" the case.  

If you already have a default judgment against you, then you should still contact an attorney because there are some things that a civil lawsuit attorney can do to set aside the default judgment and re-open the lawsuit - but all of those potential actions must be done in a timely manner.  You can learn more about Default Judgments here.  

If you were named as a Defendant in a Lawsuit that was filed in Franklin County, Delaware County, Ohio, or greater Central Ohio, then an attorney at Harris & Engler may be able to help you.

Central Ohio Lawsuit Defense Firm

The Answer to the question of whether you need an attorney after you've discovered that a lawsuit has been filed against you is almost always "yes."  First, you need an attorney to make sure that you don't get a default judgment filed against you.  Second, you need a civil defense attorney to talk with you about the case to see if you have any defenses or potential counter-claims.  Third, a civil defense attorney will assert your defenses and counter-claims as applicable in order to look after your interests in the case, see if the case can be dismissed, and otherwise put the best argument forward for you to win the case.  Fourth, most Complaints filed by a Plaintiff ask the Court to grant the Plaintiff everything under the stars, and even if you were somewhat at fault, or owe some amount of money, you still need an attorney to look after your interests to make sure that in the worst case scenario you still get a fair result.  

Most lawsuits are seeking an award of money as the potential remedy.  Whether the lawsuit filed against you has any merit or not, there are usually good reasons why the party who filed the lawsuit should not get everything that they are asking for, or even why their lawsuit should simply get dismissed in its entirety.  You may also have some claims against the party that filed the lawsuit against you.  Only an attorney can prepare the best case for you to assert your defenses and potential counter-claims.  

Columbus and Delaware Ohio Civil Defense Attorneys

The law firm of Harris & Engler is located in Columbus, Ohio, and its attorneys help clients defend against lawsuits that were filed against them.  The attorneys at Harris & Engler defend (and also initiate) civil lawsuits in Franklin County, Delaware County, Union County, and Fairfield County.  If you've received court papers (or a summons and complaint) from a Court in Ohio, then you should contact an attorney at Harris & Engler as soon as possible.  There are tight deadlines in a civil law case, and you do not want to lose by default by simply not participating or responding to the court papers.

If you've been served with court papers and you are not sure what to do, then contact a civil lawsuit defense attorney at Harris & Engler today by calling (614) 610-9988.