What do top-notch litigation attorneys busy themselves with during their work time? This basic guide shows you the usual jobs and responsibilities of these modern-day saviors. 
Being a litigation attorney is no easy walk in the park at all. These professionals, also called “trial lawyers” or “litigators” by mass media, need to always be on top of everything to ensure that the litigation process proceeds smoothly and efficiently. Additionally, carrying a lawsuit through the court process is an extremely exhaustive work – therefore, litigation attorneys who are worth their titles need to be highly competent in the whole subject of civil law and patient to boot!
Whatever you choose to call litigation attorneys, though, you should keep in mind that the main job of these professionals is to be basically involved during the management of the whole litigation process:
What is the Litigation Process and what are the Litigation Attorney’s Responsibilities in each step?
The litigation process is simply a series of steps to successfully carry a lawsuit through the court. Below are the common steps during the litigation process along with the respective responsibilities of a litigation attorney during each one:
- 1. Assessment / Initial Case Investigation: During this step, the client’s claim will be evaluated if it is strong and valid enough to be presented to court. The litigation attorney will most likely:
- a. Meet with the client and interview him
- b. Discuss the client’s claim
- c. Locate witnesses and take their statements as needed
- d. Generally investigate the facts that lead to the client’s claim
Sometimes, pre-litigation settlements are done to resolve the matter even without the filing of a lawsuit yet. Also, it should be noted that litigation attorneys take this step very seriously since if they decided to pursue the case and it is claimed insubstantial by the court, they can be penalized.
- 2. Pleading: In this step, once the Orlando litigation lawyer decided that the claim has the potential to be a case, he starts constructing the claim appropriately. He will most likely:
- a. In the plaintiff side, he will draft a summons and complaint so that he can get started with the official litigation process. He should note that proper observance of the Federal Rules of Procedure needs to be implemented during the drafting of the claim. Naturally, this claim will be filed to the court.
- b. In the defense side, he will discuss with the client to investigate the allegations filed against his client and come up with responses to these allegations.
- 3. Discovery: During the discovery step, the court informs the opposing party about the claim filed to them. Both parties will then exchange relevant information with each other. The legal attorney will:
- a. Do interrogations, requests for production, requests for admission and depositions to gain significant information.
- b. Inspect the accident area and the physical pieces of evidence as well.
- c. Basically, obtaining of relevant evidence and formulating a plausible strategy are the milestones in this step.
- 4. Pre-trial: Preparation for the trial is done during this step. The litigation attorney’s responsibilities are to:
- a. Consult with his clients
- b. Protect the most important witnesses
- c. Prepare evidence exhibits and attend pre-trial conferences
- 5. Trial: This is the cream of the crop of the whole litigation process simply because this is where the litigation attorneys fight with all their might to protect their own clients. In here, you can expect a litigation attorney to:
- a. Present all the important information obtained during the investigation process
- b. Develop lawful and persuasive agreements
- c. Examine and cross-examine witnesses
- d. Conduct post-trial interviews of the jury
- 6. Settlement: Once the trial is over, settlement is the last step that the litigation attorneys need to process. Basically, litigation attorneys will need to:
- a. Negotiate accordingly with the opposing parties
- b. Attend mediations and settlement conferences with the judge and the opposing parties
So there you have it! These are the essential responsibilities that litigation attorneys need to deal with in their everyday work routines.
Admittedly, the litigation process does sound simple when you hear about it in print – however, keep in mind that most litigation attorneys know that this isn’t the case at all! Litigation is a complicated process that requires fully competent litigation attorneys to handle these cases adequately. After all, you want only the best people to protect you, don’t you?