Ways to Prevent Yourself From Losing a Lawsuit

Lawyers

• The single most important thing you can do to win your lawsuit is hire a lawyer. Complex rules of evidence, case law research and jury selection are prohibitively confusing for most laypeople, but a lawyer will be able to competently navigate your case. Make sure your lawyer is familiar with the area of law your suit involves. Don't, for example, hire a divorce lawyer to manage a personal injury suit. Ask your lawyer for a candid assessment of your likelihood of success and carefully follow any instructions your attorney gives you.
  
  

Evidence

• Whether you're suing your landlord, fighting your credit card company or asking for custody of your kids, good evidence will help you win your case. Communicate in writing whenever possible and save every scrap of paper related to your suit. It's important to use evidence that cannot easily be forged. For example, if you're using a website that can easily be changed as evidence, take a screenshot or photo of the website rather than just providing the web address or printing the page.
  
  

Court Appearances

• You absolutely must show up for all court appearances. Even if the other side grants you permission to miss a court date, failure to appear is very serious. In some cases, you can lose your case by default judgment. This is when the judge issues an order in favor of the others side based on your failure to appear. In other cases, a warrant can be issued for your arrest if you fail to show up or respond to a subpoena. Schools and employers are required to give people time off to attend court.
  
  

Honesty

• Never lie to your lawyer. Your lawyer is bound by law to keep the details of your case confidential, even if those details weaken your case. Your attorney needs to know about the weaknesses of your case so that she can mount a competent argument in your favor. If you're not sure if your lawyer needs to know something, err on the side of caution. When your lawyer doesn't know an important fact, she cannot help you if the other side brings it up.
  
  

Communication

• Never communicate with the other side or their lawyer without your attorney's permission. You may inadvertently give away information that could harm your case. Allow your attorney to do her job and act as your representative in all communications.