One of the first things that will happen after you file for a lawsuit will be that each party sends interrogatories. An interrogatory is an often very long list of questions about your claim and your evidence.
This is used so that each side of the case can establish an understanding of what the case is about. The interrogatories will demonstrate what facts are agreed upon by both parties and what parts of the event in question are going to be disputed.
It can be incredibly intimidating to receive these questions in the mail, but you don’t have to be scared. You won’t be handling it alone if you get help, and there are advantages of interrogatories as well.
Interrogatories will help the liable side make decisions about how to handle the case. If they think you have a strong case, they may respond by seeking a settlement and trying to avoid a trial.
Do I Have to Respond?
Interrogatories are important for both sides, and you don’t have the choice to ignore them. In Georgia, you will usually have 30 days to respond honestly and in full. Instead of responding to all of them, you might object to specific questions and provide your reasons for not answering them instead.
All of your answers and objections will need to be signed by both you and your lawyer. You have to be able to stand by this statement, so you should always be completely honest in your answers.
Things to Keep in Mind
Just because you have to answer, however, doesn’t mean that you should tell them everything you know that might help them defend against your claim. Answer all of their questions fully, but don’t provide any extra information beyond what they ask for.
Refuse to speculate or provide answers that you aren’t certain about. If you don’t know the answer to something for sure, you should not answer it. Consult with a lawyer throughout the process to make sure you aren’t giving the other party something they can use against you.
Get Help Now
Don’t go through this alone. As scary as interrogatories may sound, they are nothing to worry about with the help of a qualified attorney. Your attorney will take the lead in answering them and issuing interrogatories to the other party. These are crucial steps in the discovery phase of your case. This is the phase when your lawyer gets the information they need and the other side begins to consider what its best options are.
An experienced lawyer will know what they need to win your case and get you the optimum possible settlement. Gathering the details required and analyzing the specific circumstances of your case and how they fit within the law is a big challenge for anyone to handle alone. Your lawyer should have the team and the expertise to make that happen without any stress for you.