No one wants to be a party in a lawsuit. If you’re bringing the suit, it’s because you’ve suffered some kind of damage. If the suit is brought against you, you may not even know what’s in the mind of the other party. In either case, you’re likely to be in unfamiliar territory with little guidance. Before you make any major changes in your life, you should stop and consider the things you should and should not do when involved in a lawsuit. Below are just four of the things you need to consider avoiding during the process of your suit.
Don’t Ignore It
If you’re involved in a lawsuit, you can’t simply ignore the process because you don’t think it is fair or legitimate. One of the easiest ways to lose a lawsuit you should win is to ignore that it is happening at all. This means showing up for court whenever you’re assigned a date and making sure to comply with all court orders concerning your case. While this may not be a pleasant process, it is now your reality and you must accept that what is going on is very real.
Stay Off of Social Media
It’s very common to go on social media to vent about a bad day or to celebrate a success. If you are involved in a lawsuit, though, it’s a good idea for you to go completely silent on social media until the matter is resolved. You never know how your statements online can be used against you and the last thing you want to do is to give the other side some kind of ammunition. Instead, try to keep any necessary social media posts to the absolute basics and make sure to adhere to any court orders that have to do with what you may or may not post.
Don’t Try to Handle it Alone
While you might think that this is a simple matter, the fact that the suit has gone this far means that there are issues that you can’t handle alone. The last thing you should do is to attempt to fix things on your own terms. In many cases, taking any kind of action will just damage your standing – so make sure you let a professional handle things. No matter what you think your relationship with the other party was like before, the moment you find out they intend to bring a suit is the moment that you need to let lawyers handle things.
Don’t Panic!
Finally, make sure you don’t panic! Lawsuits, as unpleasant as they are, aren’t that uncommon. Just because the other party is bringing a suit doesn’t mean that it has merit or even that they are going to win. Instead of letting yourself be filled with dread, take the notice of the suit as a sign that you need to talk to an attorney.
He or she will help walk you through the process and give you a good idea of what to expect. While a lawyer certainly can’t tell the future, he or she is able to tell you what’s likely to happen. With a lawyer’s help, you can start to plan out your next move. A lawsuit doesn’t have to be the end of your life – but it does represent a change you must confront.
Bart Costello is the founder of Injury Law. Bart is passionate about helping people. He has built a strong reputation over the last thirty years as one of the premier Boulder personal injury attorneys.
