Involved In A Lawsuit in Boulder County? Here’s What To Expect

Boulder Lawsuit

When you are involved in a civil lawsuit in Boulder County District Court, you can generally expect your case’s overall timeline to be 12-18 months and to involve the following:

Filing and Service of the Complaint (Month 1)

If you are filing a lawsuit in Boulder County Court, you will need to file a Complaint and pay a fee.  You will then be required to serve the Complaint on the Defendant.  Serving the Complaint is best accomplished through a process server.  Common examples of Boulder County civil lawsuits are: breach of contract, personal injury, and landlord tenant disputes.

Answer (Month 2)

Once the Complaint has been served, the Defendant must respond to the Complaint within a specific period of time.  Generally, the response is in the form of an Answer.  Sometimes, the Defendant files a Motion to Dismiss when they believe there is absolutely no way the Plaintiff can win.  Motions to Dismiss are very rarely granted in Boulder County.  The Answer is also where the Defendant brings their counterclaims against the Plaintiff in the event they have related claims to bring.

Discovery (Months 3-9)

Once the Answer has been filed, the parties will be required to disclose certain information to one another and begin the discovery process.  The discovery process in Boulder County is governed by the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure and both parties are required to participate in the process – or face sanctions by the court.  This will generally include depositions and written discovery.

ADR (Month 10-11 (but can be done any time))

Colorado Rules require the parties to attempt to settle the case via alternative dispute resolution, which means the parties will meet with a mediator and attempt to settle the case without going to trial.  Most cases settle before trial, and ADR is a great opportunity to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each sides claims and defenses.

Trial (Months 12-18 the case can be ready for trial months before your trial date)

Trials of civil lawsuits in Boulder Colorado can be either a Jury Trial or a Bench Trial (where the judge acts as the jury).  Trials can take from one day to many weeks to complete.

Boulder Civil Litigation Lawyers

The Boulder civil litigation lawyers of LaszloLaw can assist you with your lawsuit.  LaszloLaw have over 30 years of civil litigation experience.  Contact our Boulder civil litigation lawyers online or at 303-926-0410 if you need assistance with a Boulder lawsuit.