How “Discovery” Affects Your Case
After initiation of your law suit, you will begin the process of “Discovery.” Though the rules vary slightly from state to state, in general, discovery is the opportunity for each side to ask written questions, request documents and take depositions. The purpose of this period is to find out what happened and identify all the evidence needed for trial.
In general, the information that the parties are allowed to discover in this period is very broad. The parties are not limited to seeking only “relevant” evidence. It is not uncommon for clients to resist the information being requested because they feel, often correctly, that the information being requested simply is not relevant to the case. It is important to trust your lawyers when they seek this information. They will not only know and protect the limits of discovery, but also will make sure that irrelevant evidence is not being admitted at trial.