Click Ask Our Lawyers above and your question will be answered within 24 hours online by our New York litigation attorneys-or other attorneys from your state.
Think hard before you rush off to the court clerk’s office to file a lawsuit. The idea of victory may tempt you, but as you probably know, lawsuits can be expensive, time-consuming and emotionally draining. It’s far better to resolve your disputes out of court. One way to do this is through mediation. And there are other ways to settle disputes without suing, including demanding payment before you go to court or attempting informal negotiation. But if all else fails and a lawsuit seems inevitable, you’ll want to be sure you have a good case and prepare yourself well before you forge ahead. This brief article contains tips on what to do before you sue.
Deciding Whether to Sue Someone
What you need to know before you file a lawsuit.
You need to answer three fundamental – and fairly obvious – questions as part of deciding whether it’s worthwhile to bring a lawsuit:
- Do I have a good case?
- Can I achieve my goal in some other way – for example, by proposing a compromise settlement or mediation?
- Can I collect when I win?
If the answer to question one or three is no, or to question two is yes, you probably won’t want to sue.