If you’re waiting for your lawsuit to come to trial, you’re probably anxious to have it happen and look forward to it being done. Most people involved in litigation are doing it for the first time, and don’t know what to expect. We’ll look at a litigation timeline template to walk you through the steps.

The Road to Litigation and Discovery

While it’s preferable to try to negotiate and settle out of court, once the parties involved have exhausted what are called “administrative remedies,” the case moves forward. The plaintiff (person who is suing) files a complaint, and the defendant must return a “responsive pleading,” which is either an answer (essentially a counter-argument to allegations), or a motion to dismiss. A judge will evaluate the responsive pleading and determine if the case can and should move forward.

The next step in a litigation timeline template is discovery, in which …