What To Do If You Are Being Sued
Business attorney Michael Hynum discusses what to do, and what not to do, if you find yourself on the defense in a lawsuit. For your convenience, the transcription for the video is included below.
What To Do If You Are Being Sued
“Hi, my name’s Mike Hynum and I’m an attorney with Hynum Law in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Today, I’d like to talk to you a little bit about what to do, and sometimes not to do, when you get sued or have a lawsuit filed against you.
Most people don’t expect to ever have to deal with the legal system in their lifetime, and if they’re lucky, many times they won’t. But, if you do happen to have a suit filed against you, in other words, be sued, you want to keep a few things in mind.
Don't Panic
First of all, don’t panic. The worst thing you can do is get excited and upset because your mind will not work properly. Take a breath, step back, and think ‘okay, what am I going to do next?’
The next thing you need to do is look at what the suit actually says, and determine ‘what do I need to do?’ ‘Do I need a lawyer?’ ‘Do I need to have representation?’ If you’re sued in small claims court, you may not need to have an attorney. But if you’re sued at the common pleas, or even on the federal level, it’s a good idea to think about having an attorney.
Get Everything in Order
The next thing you want to do is get organized. Get together documents, contracts, if you have one, emails, communications, other notes that you may have taken, anything that has to do with the situation at hand. The more information you have, the better off you’ll be able to tell your story to a judge or to your attorney.
Call An Attorney
Then the next thing you need to do is call an attorney if you need an attorney, such as someone here at Hynum Law, or you can speak to friends or family and talk to them about whether they have used or maybe know someone who has used an attorney at some point.
You want to make sure that you get someone that you work with who you’re comfortable with, and you feel you can trust. Not everyone is going to get along with every attorney. You want to make sure that you feel good about your representation, and you want to make sure that you feel good about the particular attorney you’re working with.
Do Some Research
The next thing you need to do is think about knowing the law a little bit if you’re going to represent yourself in small claims court. You can do Google searches, you can maybe talk to friends who may have dealt with issues, but try to find out a little bit about whatever the issue is that you may be dealing with when you go to court.
Tell The Truth
If you do meet with an attorney, make sure that you tell them everything. Be honest with them. Don’t tell them what you think they need to know, tell them everything that you know. They will be able to best decide what needs to be brought out in a trial, or potential trial, or with opposing counsel, and what does not need to be brought out.
Stay Calm, Everything Will Be Okay
Finally, no matter what happens, remember: the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. Almost no time is something going to be the end of the world. If you’re faced with something catastrophic, there’s always options like: bankruptcy, or settling, maybe making payments; but no matter what happens, life is going to go on. You will get through this.
If you stay calm, think about what you’re doing and contact the proper attorney anytime you have to deal with the legal system, you’re going to be in a much, much better place. This is Mike Hynum, if you have any questions or want to talk about this issue or anything else, please don’t hesitate to give me a call at (717) 801-1105 or contact me here at Hynum Law in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Thank you for watching.”