Day 1 - Complaint Filed

The lawsuit begins when one side files a legal document known as a “complaint”. The complaint usually contains a brief background of relevant events and then list the “Causes of Action.” The causes of action are the specific allegations that the plaintiff alleges the defendant(s) did. In a business lawsuit, a common cause of action is “breach of contract”.

At the time the complaint is filed, the plaintiff and defendant have often been communicating with each other and have been unable to resolve their dispute without litigation.