We are human, at times after or during an argument, things get out of hand, and you find yourself hitting the other party. In many cases, you will get the threat of, “I will see you in court.” At that moment you will want to shout “sorry, I di did not mean it” but the damage is already caused. Some people will ignore the whole thing and even not say the simple sorry. Just before you completely get over it, you are presented with a lawsuit. This is when you realize that things are serious. So, what next? When are you supposed to appear in court? Was the injury caused that big that they have taken you to court claiming a compensation? Do you have a lawyer? This is a moment of total confusion. Read on to get tips on what you are supposed to do at such a moment.
Hire a lawyer
A civil lawyer will do since it is not a criminal case. Hiring a lawyer will mean you are paying them, but it is way better than defending yourself. Remember a lawyer is a professional, they have dealt with similar cases before and will stand you a better chance of winning the case. You can compare your defense skills with those of a professional.
Revoke a default judgment and meet your deadlines
A defendant is given 30 days to file a written response to the court. Failure to do this makes you lose the case. Things might happen such that you are not in a position to file the response within the 30 days. If the case finds your reasons genuine, they will give you more time. If you are given more time, cancel the judgment as soon as you can.
Settle the case outside the court
If your opposition is willing to negotiate, then you can take the chance and settle the matters out of the court. You cannot force the plaintiff to negotiate if they are not willing. You may offer to pay bills, insurance and anything else they will ask for as long it is not very exaggerated. The size of the injury will not matter, you might be surprised to pay thousands. Weigh the situations with the help of your lawyer. If it is not worth it settling the case by yourself, go ahead the judge will give a fair judgment.