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Litigation is the process of resolving a dispute through the courts. The term generally refers to civil rather than criminal cases. Litigation isn’t just the trial – it’s all the stages of a case that take place in the months or years leading up to trial.

The stages of litigation include the filing the lawsuit, notifying the other side, a response from the other side, time for each side to collect evidence and request documents from the other side, trial preparation, presenting and arguing motions, and often settlement negotiations.

In Cook County, many civil lawsuits are filed at the Daley Center, which is located at 50 W. Washington Street in Chicago. This is the main circuit court, or trial court, in the county. If you have a Cook County civil case, you might file documents at the Daley Center location, as well as appear here for status conferences, hearings and possibly trial. There are different divisions depending on the value of a claim. Many, but not all, civil cases are heard at the Daley Center – there are several suburban Cook County courthouses, as well.

You might need a litigation attorney if you have an injury case, are involved in a business dispute, need to collect a debt, or are suing someone for damage to your property. Litigation attorneys are usually referred to by their area of law, such as personal injury, commercial litigation, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, etc., even though they all do litigation.

The attorneys who do a lot of litigation often have offices near the courthouse. There are many, many litigation attorneys located in downtown Chicago. Hiring one of these attorneys is generally a good idea, as it indicates they are part of the local legal community. Hopefully, they have ongoing relationships with the judges, clerks and other attorneys who appear in court regularly.

When looking for a Chicago litigation attorney, location isn’t the only consideration. Experience also is important. You should look for a lawyer who has handled cases similar to yours in the past. They should focus their practice on your type of case (medical malpractice, for example). If an attorney’s practice is too diverse, it could indicate that they don’t have the depth of experience in a single area, which may be what you need.

Initial consultations are almost always free. Ask a lot of questions. You don’t have to hire an attorney after an initial consultation. And you shouldn’t if you don’t think they’re a good fit for you.

Litigation attorney fees depend on the case itself. If you are a defendant you will be paying a lawyer by the hour. Every attorney we know will want a retainer fee which is an advance payment on their services. The amount depends on the case and law firm. Plaintiff’s lawyers in civil litigation in Chicago can either ask you to pay them by the hour or work on a contingency basis, which means that they only collect a fee from you if you win your case. If you lose, the fee should be nothing. Some lawyers only work on an hourly basis, others only do contingency. Again the type of case will determine how the lawyer will work.

If you need help finding a litigation attorney with experience, a focused practice, excellent customer service and a good reputation in the legal community, give us a call or contact us online. We will talk to you about your problem, for free, and refer you to an attorney we know and trust.