8 Months + - Bench/Jury Trial

Usually 8 months to years after the start of litigation is trial. A civil trial can be before a judge or a judge and jury. The parties get to decide whether to have a “bench trial” or a trial before a jury. A bench trial is a trial where the judge decides the outcome of the lawsuit.

There are advantages and disadvantages of requesting either type of trial.

Most cases are settled by the parties before going to trial. Some stats say that up to 99% of cases are settled without going to trial. Good work by the lawyers during the case is vital whether a case goes to trial or is settled before hand. A trial can be as short as a few hours with most cases taking a few days and very few taking more than a week.