What is the timetable for a case resolve?
Most professional malpractice cases will take anywhere from one year to three years before final resolution, and some take longer. Once the lawsuit is filed with the appropriate court, the sheriff will serve the lawsuit on the defendant(s). In Georgia, once a defendant is served, he or she has 30 days to file an Answer and 45 days to respond to any written discovery. After the Answer is filed, Georgia allows a six-month discovery period to take place. This is the time when both parties perform written discovery by exchanging Interrogatories and Request for Production of Documents and when the parties have the opportunity to take depositions of interested parties or witnesses. Essentially, this is the evidence-gathering portion of the litigation process. Sometimes, depending on the number of parties or the complexity of a case, a discovery extension is entered into if additional time is needed. Once the discovery phase has completed, the case will be ready for trial.
