Filing a lawsuit guide is the process of starting a legal case in court. Lawsuits settle disputes between people, often through financial compensation. The process varies depending on the case type. Civil lawsuits are about money; criminal cases deal with punishment.

The first step in a suit is filing papers with the court and paying a fee to start the case. Then the other side must be served (given a copy) of the complaint and given a chance to respond by a certain deadline. If the other person does not file a response, you can ask the judge to decide the case without their input (called default judgment). You may also need to file pretrial motions if you aren’t going to trial.

A Complete Guide to Filing a Lawsuit: What You Need to Know

A court can decide a case before it goes to trial if both parties work out a settlement agreement, called a compromise. You can also file a “demand for payment letter” as an alternative to a lawsuit, which is similar but less formal.

You should not sue anyone until you are sure that your case has a strong basis and that the other party must be made to pay for any damages that you suffered. There are many complicated rules about the law and you should always try to get help from an experienced attorney if possible. If you cannot afford an attorney, you can use eCourts Guide & File to prepare court documents for small claims and some other types of cases.