How To Sue Someone: A Step By Step Guide

For those that have suffered some sort of harm at the hands of another, whether that is an individual or an organization being able to sue, allows them to seek justice and compensation enabling them to repair their lives. 

However, the process of suing can seem complicated and intimidating, especially for those that have never encountered it before. The good news is you can get a clear and easy-to-follow guide on how to sue someone, below.

Step 1: Identify Who And Why You Are Suing, 

First of all, you need to know who you are suing and for what reason. Common reasons to sue include medical malpractice, personal injury, and breach of contract. 

When it comes to identifying who you will sue you’ll need to focus on the person or organization responsible for the harm that came to you. In some cases, this could be a company, while in others it might be a single, or even multiple individuals. 

Step 2: Draft Your Complaint

The complaint is a summary of your case, and it will be the first piece of paperwork you need to complete. It should include only facts, as well as the parties involved in the case, the laws it relates to, and what you are seeking as a resolution. 

It is vital to get help from a professional lawyer or attorney at this stage, as you need your complaint to be as accurate, and persuasive as possible. 

Step 3: Filing Your Documents 

Once your complaint has been filed, you will need to complete the other documents relevant to your case. The documents you will need to file will differ from one court to another, but may include things like a Civil Cover Sheet, and a Request for Issuance of Summons. 

Once you have completed your documents you will need to file them. Some courts will allow you to do this online via an E-filing ePortal, while others will require you to appear in person to the court clerk. You will need to pay the due fee for filing as well which will again depend on the rules of the specific court you are using. 

Step 4: Complete The Service Of Process

It is the plaintiff’s responsibility to make sure that the other parties named in your documents know they are being sued. With that in mind, using a team of professional process servers is the best approach. This is because they will have plenty of experience finding people to serve them papers, and will provide an official record that this has occurred. 

Step 5: Fight Your Case

Lastly, once all the steps above have been completed it’s time to fight your case and prove that you are entitled to compensation. 

Of course, during proceedings, the defendant can respond, and you will need to respond to any issues raised by the defense in a factual and timely manner to ensure the most positive outcome. 

Final thoughts 

While there are multiple steps to complete when going through the process of suing someone, you can increase your chances of success by following the advice above, and completing each stage in a thorough and timely fashion.