Integrity, Compassion and Professionalism
Litigation
To Sue or Not to Sue?
or
I’ve Been Sued: Now What?
Regardless of whether you are considering defending your rights by suing or whether you have to defend your rights because you have been sued, the first step is finding an attorney that you are comfortable with and who has the necessary legal skills to passionately represent you.
Attorney Pamela H. Rohr has been litigating matters since 1990. Drawing on her practical experience during law school that included both work as an associate editor of the Gonzaga Law Review and representing clients at University Legal Assistance, as well as over twenty years of practice, it is clear that Ms. Rohr has a superior grasp of legal concepts and litigation methods.
Ms. Rohr will meet with you to discuss your case at no charge for the initial consultation. To prepare for that meeting, you will be asked to bring all paperwork, photographs or any other documentation on which your case relies.
During the initial meeting, which is free of charge, you will discuss the facts of your case and explain how you want the matter resolved. Ms. Rohr will ask you many questions about your case and address all of your questions. This consultation usually takes anywhere from one to two hours and will not be complete until all of your questions are answered.
At the conclusion of that first meeting you will be given advice on how to proceed with your case. An estimate of the time it will take to conclude your matter will be given along with an estimate of what it will cost to meet your goals.
HOW DO I PROCEED?
During each step of the litigation process, you work with Trunkenbolz | Rohr PLLC and Trunkenbolz | Rohr PLLC works with you. It is a partnership with a common goal – your goal.
If you are suing, Ms. Rohr will draft the summons and complaint for you to review and approve. Although Ms. Rohr knows the law that needs to be applied, you will be the person with the knowledge of the facts. Once the summons and complaint are filed, your suit is on its way.
If you are being sued, Ms. Rohr will draft an answer to the complaint. She will also consider whether you have any causes of action (counter-claims) that you can bring against the person suing you. Once that answer and possible counter-claims are filed and served, your suit is on its way.
HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE?
The majority of my cases are in Spokane County Superior Court. Along with working with top quality judges, one of the greatest benefits of working with this court are their case scheduling orders. A scheduling conference is scheduled and a specific judge assigned when the complaint is filed. During the scheduling conference the judge will consider how long the attorneys believe the trial will take, whether or not a jury has been requested and what the issues to be resolved at trial are.
Based on what the judge learns at the scheduling conference, a scheduling order is issued. The scheduling order is what moves the case along the required path and gives a date for the trial. In addition to setting a date for the trial, the scheduling order will mandate when the names of witnesses must be disclosed to each party, when discovery must be completed, when trial briefs are due as well as other deadlines. As someone who began her litigation practice before there were scheduling orders (in a day where cases could easily last for years) Ms. Rohr finds the scheduling order a valuable tool for her litigation practice. Typically a case is set for trial within ten months of the scheduling conference.
WHAT WILL THIS COST?
At Trunkenbolz | Rohr PLLC we understand that our clients work hard for the money they have. During the initial consultation in the Spokane Valley we will weigh the cost of litigation against its benefits to you. Although no attorney can foresee how the other side will behave during litigation, a rough estimate of costs and attorney fees along with a legal analysis of what you could accomplish, will give you the information you need to decide on what course of action to take.