General Litigation

We represent individuals, families, and small businesses on both sides of civil cases, whether you're the one bringing the claim or the one defending against it. Many of our cases are heard in Maine District Court or Superior Court at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor, and we appear in courts across the region.

A lawsuit moves in stages. It starts with the complaint and the answer, then discovery, when each side gathers documents and takes testimony. Plenty of cases settle along the way. In Superior Court, most civil cases have to go through some form of alternative dispute resolution, usually mediation, before they can be tried.

Before any of that, we'll give you an honest assessment. Litigation costs time and money, and sometimes the smart move is a demand letter, a negotiated settlement, or letting it go. When a case is worth fighting, we prepare it as if it's headed for trial, because that's what tends to bring the best settlement offers.

Our litigation work draws on the rest of the practice. Boundary and easement fights lean on our real estate experience, estate disputes on our probate work, and business disputes on our corporate practice. You're not paying a new lawyer to learn the background.

If you've been served with a lawsuit, watch the clock. In Maine you generally have 20 days after being served to file an answer, and missing that deadline can lead to a default judgment against you. Call us as soon as the papers arrive.