Writing Up Litigation Documents

1. Determine the purpose of the document

Before one begins writing up a litigation document, one must first determine precisely what it’s being written for. There may be a variety of reasons for writing up a litigation document: to request evidence, file a complaint about a judge, appeal a court ruling, or some other reason. The purpose must be precisely stated and reflected in the document.

2. Following the document’s established format and contents requirements

Each litigation document features a specific format and contents established by litigation law. One must observe all the requirements for the particular type of document, including its title, obligatory identifiers, the titles of the parties, indication of attachments (if necessary), along with other requirements.

3. Clarity and accuracy of the composition

The procedural document must be written clearly and accurately. One must write in straightforward terms and avoid wordings that are subject to interpretation. It’s important to keep in mind that the litigation document may be used as evidence, so avoiding baseless affirmations and accusations is a must.

4. Evidence analysis

In writing up a litigation document, it’s important to conduct an analysis of the existing evidence. It’s important to take into account all the aspects and circumstances that may impact the case ruling.

5. Observation of deadlines

Deadlines for submitting litigation documents are established by law and must be followed. All deadlines must be taken into account and one must be absolutely sure never to miss them. Otherwise, the document may be rejected from consideration. For instance, there are specific set deadlines that must be met in order to appeal court rulings. If one is to miss the deadline to submit an appeal, one must subsequently file a petition to extend the allotted submission period along with the appeal.

6. Monitoring the document’s examination

After the litigation document is written up, one must track the course of its examination and whether the submission of this document in the court case file is reflected on the court’s portal.

Writing up litigation documents is a complex, high-responsibility process that requires that a lawyer not only have a deep knowledge of the law but also be able to apply his or her knowledge in practice. Observing rules and recommendations in writing up litigation documents will help provide effective defense of the client's interests within the bounds of the legal process.

Word & Law's lawyers are prepared to answer all the questions you have and help you write up any litigation documents you need.