Legal terms such as Costs Case Management Conferences, Conditional Fee Agreements, Ex Parte Applications, Witness Statements and Affidavits can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to get lost in the maze of legal jargon.
That’s where we come in! One of our key roles is to cut through the fine print and make legal processes clearer, so you can focus on what really matters: resolving your dispute.
In this blog, we explain what litigation involves, and show you how we, as solicitors, can help simplify the process and guide you through every step.
What Does Litigation Mean?
In a sentence, litigation is the legal process when a dispute arises between people.
Disputes come in many forms, and at Howard and Over, we specialise in several areas that may be familiar to you already:
Contentious Probate
Contentious Probate is a wide term which encompasses any dispute arising from a Will or a deceased person’s assets – also known as their estate. Such disputes include where you discovered after their death that you have been left out of a loved one’s Will, or where you believe that someone was pressurised into changing their Will before they passed.
Personal Injury Claims
If you have suffered an injury at work, in the streets, on the roads, or in a shop, hotel, or other public building, you may be entitled to make a claim for the pain and injury involved, as well as claim for losing pay and earnings while you recover.
Other Common Legal Disputes
You may be able to make a claim for other problems that arise in life, such as poor workmanship on your home, an expensive vehicle that later broke or was unsuitable for its purpose, or when someone has not paid your bill.
What to Expect from the Litigation Process
Litigation can seem to be a daunting experience. What if you don’t win? How much will you have to pay? What will you have to do in court? These are common and completely understandable questions to have.
The good news is that you don’t have to face this process alone. At Howard and Over, our role is to guide you through each step and make the experience as straightforward as possible.
When you engage us as your solicitors, we will always be up-front about your chances. If you have suffered a personal injury, and we believe you have a good chance of success, we will be able to act for you under a Conditional Fee Agreement, more commonly known as a ‘no win, no fee’ agreement.
We will always be clear on costs at the outset, as the case proceeds, and we will give you cost updates every six months at the minimum.
The reality is that most cases don’t go to court, with the courts set up to encourage people to negotiate and reach a solution through alternative dispute resolution methods before it gets to that point. We will be able to advise you on the merits of making and receiving offers throughout.
If any of the situations mentioned above sound familiar to you, feel free to get in touch with our experts at Howard and Over.
