How long does a civil litigation case take from start to finish?
The length from start to finish of a civil or commercial litigation case depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of the case, number of parties involved in the litigation, amount at stake, the court in which the lawsuit is filed and caseload of that court, and whether the case is resolved through settlement or motion practice or goes to trial. While litigation involving simple small dollar claims may get resolved in a matter of months, litigation involving complex high value claims may take many months or years from start to finish.
If the defendant does not answer the summons and complaint, the plaintiff can seek to obtain a default judgment. If the defendant answers the complaint, the length from start to finish of a civil or commercial litigation case depends on a number of factors, including, the complexity of the case, number of parties involved in the litigation, amount at stake, the court in which the lawsuit is filed and caseload of that court, and whether the case is resolved through settlement or motion practice or goes to trial. While litigation involving simple small dollar claims may get resolved in a matter of months, litigation involving complex high value claims may take many months or years from start to finish.
