There are many different types of lawyers. Each attorney tends to specialize in some particular aspect of the law. Among the various distinctions is that between a transactional lawyer and a litigator. These two roles are very different in terms of case management. Yet, if you are thinking of hiring an attorney, it can help to understand the difference. A Background Review First of all, the training and education of a doesn’t differ much from that of other attorneys. All attorneys must attend law school and pass a state bar exam. However, the career route after this period is quite different for litigators. Most of the lawyers that work in litigation will start to acquire trial experience. After some time, they become seasoned advocates in the court system.
The Initial Stages There are a few things all litigators do when they first get a case. Mainly, they will investigate the circumstances of the case to verify the client’s story. These investigations are also done to uncover evidence that may be used during the life of the case. During this process, a litigation attorney will attempt to locate witnesses, find relevant documents, and obtain physical evidence. All these pieces of the case will help the litigation lawyer in Toronto determine how the case should proceed. Pleadings and Discovery The next step in the case is to create the pleadings. These are the actual legal documents that will be filed with the court. A pleading will contain all the information that the court needs to understand the case. It will include the parties, the causes of action, and a jurisdictional statement.
A litigation lawyer will use the information obtained through the investigation to perform this step. After the pleadings have been filed, the attorney will need to perform discovery. He or she will do so by requesting to see the evidence held by the opposing party. The Trial A litigation lawyer in Toronto’s bread and butter is the trial. During a trial, the litigator argues the client’s case before the court. This is a very technical process that is usually handled by experienced lawyers. Why You Might Need a Litigator Not all attorneys represent clients at trial. This duty belongs to the special class of lawyers known as litigators. If you have a case that you think may go to trial, make sure to find a litigation attorney to assist you.