Litigation
Courts, lawsuits, small claims, judgments, and dispute resolution.
16 guides
- Being a witness in court
Being a witness usually means giving evidence about facts you personally saw, heard, did, or know. You may testify voluntarily, or a court may require your attendance through a subpoena, summons, or another formal order.
- Being served with a lawsuit: how the process works
Being served with a lawsuit means that someone has formally started a court case involving you; it does not mean the court has decided that you owe money or are responsible. The papers usually identify the claims, the court, and the date by which you may need to respond.
- Collecting a court judgment
Collecting a court judgment usually means using a court-approved enforcement process to obtain money or property from the judgment debtor. The court often does not collect the money automatically, and enforcement methods, exemptions, fees, and deadlines depend heavily on where the judgment was issued and where the debt
- Court deadlines you must not miss
Court deadlines can determine whether a claim, defence, appeal, or request is heard at all. The exact time limit usually depends on the type of case, the court, the document involved, how it was served, and the law where the case is being handled.
- Demand letters: what they are and how they work
A demand letter is a clear, written request for payment, performance, correction of a problem, or another remedy before formal legal action. It can produce results by showing that your claim is organized and credible, but it does not guarantee payment and is not a substitute for filing a claim before a deadline expires
- Employment discrimination and retaliation under U.S. federal law
Federal law prohibits employers from making employment decisions because of protected characteristics, and from punishing employees for complaining about discrimination. This guide explains what the main laws cover, how claims are evaluated, and the agency process that comes before most lawsuits.
- How courts evaluate a legal claim: elements, evidence, and deadlines
Every civil claim, whether for breach of contract, negligence, or discrimination, is built from legal elements that must each be proved. This guide explains how courts break a claim into elements, what burden of proof applies, and the procedural requirements, such as deadlines and standing, that can decide a case before its merits are reached.
- Jury duty: excuses and obligations
Jury duty usually begins with an official summons requiring you to report or complete an eligibility form. The law commonly allows deferral, excusal, or exemption for specific reasons, but ignoring a summons can lead to penalties.
- Liability under a contract: breach, indemnification, and limitation-of-liability clauses
Whether a party is liable under a contract depends on what the contract promises, whether a promise was broken, and what the contract and the law say about the consequences. This guide explains how breach and damages generally work and how indemnification, limitation-of-liability, and liquidated-damages clauses change the default rules.
- Mediation and arbitration instead of court
Mediation is a negotiated process in which a neutral person helps the parties try to reach their own agreement; the mediator normally cannot impose a decision. Arbitration is a private process in which a neutral arbitrator decides the dispute, usually through a less formal procedure than a court, and the decision may b
- Mediation in family disputes
Mediation is a private process in which a neutral mediator helps people in a family dispute discuss options and try to reach an agreement. The mediator does not usually decide the case, and participation does not remove a person’s right to go to court if no agreement is reached.
- Protective orders for domestic abuse
A protective order is a court order intended to help protect someone from domestic abuse, threats, stalking, harassment, or related conduct. The order may restrict contact, communication, entry to a home or workplace, possession of weapons, or contact with children, and violating it can lead to arrest or other penaltie
- Representing yourself in court
Representing yourself in court means handling your own case instead of hiring a lawyer, sometimes called appearing “pro se” or “self-represented.” The process differs greatly between criminal, civil, family, small-claims, and traffic matters, and police stops raise separate rights and risks.
- Restraining orders: getting one or responding to one
A restraining order is a court order intended to prevent harassment, threats, violence, stalking, contact, or sometimes entry into a home or workplace. The person seeking protection usually applies to a court, while the person responding usually receives notice and an opportunity to be heard, although temporary orders
- Small claims court: how it works
Small claims court is designed for relatively straightforward disputes involving limited amounts of money, with simpler procedures than ordinary civil litigation. “Winning” usually means proving your claim, or defending against the other side’s claim, with reliable evidence under the legal standard that applies where t
- Suing the government or a public agency
Suing the government or a public agency is possible, but special immunity rules, notice requirements, and short deadlines often apply. Claims may involve police conduct, injuries, property damage, unlawful detention, discrimination, or a breach of constitutional or human rights.