how long should it take your attorney to file a motion for court

by Justine Kozey 7 min read

A: I estimate roughly 20 - 40 hours of my time, at my $250 per hour rate, to prepare all the court papers. That would include our opening motion, and any reply brief to the opposition. That's about $5,000 - $10,000 in legal fees. Then up to 2 hours more of my time for the court hearing on our motion, which is another $500.

Full Answer

How to file a motion in a civil case?

May 03, 2011 · 2 attorney answers. Literally, as quickly as possible. Technically, the motion may be filed at any time, however reality is often driven by other factors such as availability of sufficient evidence or even just simply where in the lawyer's pile of work your case falls. And that's just reality.

When do you have to respond to a motion in court?

Feb 12, 2009 ·

How long does it take to file a motion for extension?

Do you have to pay to file a motion in court?

Aug 07, 2016 · Sometimes it can be as short as three or four weeks other times it can extend out to seven or eight weeks. The best way to find out in advance is to call the court speak with the judges clerk and ask your question. * This will flag comments for moderators to take action.

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How long does a motion take to be heard?

A motion is heard on a 24 day cycle, meaning that when you file a motion, you can expect that your case will be scheduled before a judge within approximately 24 days. There is often times a motion can be delayed when an adjournment is requested or when the court's calendar requires.Mar 17, 2020

What is filing motions in court?

One of the last steps a prosecutor takes before trial is to respond to or file motions. A motion is an application to the court made by the prosecutor or defense attorney, requesting that the court make a decision on a certain issue before the trial begins.

What is a noticed motion?

A notice of motion is a written application to the Court. This document requests the Court to issue a ruling or order on a legal matter. These motions are the first step a party must take before the Court can weigh in on a legal matter.Feb 13, 2019

What is a pending motion?

If matters outside the pleadings. Page 1. Defendant's pending motion is a Motion to Dismiss, or, Alternatively, For 1 Summary Judgment. If matters outside the pleadings are accepted by the court on a motion to dismiss, the court “must convert the motion to dismiss into one for summary judgment.” Garfield v.

What is a genuine issue of material fact?

A “genuine issue of material fact” means that a critical fact in the case is in dispute.

What is a motion in civil court?

A “motion” is a written request to the judge that asks for a ruling on some issue in the case. (NRCP 7 (b); JCRCP 7 (b).) 1.

How long does it take to file an opposition to a motion in the mail?

When the other side receives your motion in the mail, she has ten business days (plus three calendar days) to file a written opposition to your motion with the court. You should receive a copy of the other side’s opposition in the mail.

How long do you have to reply to a court order?

If you are in the district court, you can file and serve a reply any time up to five business days before the hearing date. (EDCR 2.20 (h).) You must deliver a courtesy copy of your motion, the opposition, and your reply to the judge’s chambers at least five days before the hearing date. (EDCR 2.20 (g).)

What is the first step in a lawsuit?

Filing and serving a complaint is the first step in a lawsuit. After that, if you want the Courtto do something related to your case, YOU MUST FILE A MOTION. You cannot obtain relieffrom the Court by calling the Judge or Clerk of Court.

Do all motions have to be accompanied by a supporting memorandum?

Generally. All motions must state precisely the relief requested. Except for routine motions--suchas motions for extension of time--each motion must be accompanied by a supporting memorandum. Failureto file a supporting memorandum may be grounds for denying the motion.

What is a caption in a motion?

The caption is the description on the front of every document filed with the Court listing the Court, parties, and case number. Your motion must include a caption. The caption of a motion looksmuch like a complaint, except that in a motion you do not need to list all the plaintiffs and defendants. On a motion, you may list only the first plaintiff and first defendant followed by “et al.” in the caseof multiple plaintiffs and/or defendants. An example of a caption for a motion is set out below:

What should be the first paragraph of a motion?

The first paragraph of the motion should identify who you are, e.g., “I, Jane Doe, the Plaintiffin this action,” and should state precisely the relief that you are seeking, e.g., “I am requesting anextension of time to answer the Defendants’ discovery requests.” It is very important that you arespecific and concise about what you want so that the Court knows immediately what you areasking for.

What is Local Rule 7.1?

For your convenience, Local Rule 7.1., which governs civil motions, is set out in full below. You should not rely exclusively on this rule, however, and are encouraged to obtain and review theFederal Rules of Civil Procedure and this Court’s Local Rules in full.

What is the rule for motions concerning discovery?

Most importantly,before filing any such motion you must attempt to confer with the opposing party (or if the opposingparty is represented, his/her counsel) to resolve the dispute. Local Rule 37.1 governs motions relatingto discovery.

Bill Zukauckas

Having been a judge for 22 years, I agree that asking the judge's clerk nicely is worth a try. Sometimes the judge forgets. You will be cut some slack for being pro se, but don't annoy the judge. Being pro se, you need to err on the side of politeness because you don't understand what is normally expected. That's not your fault, just go slowly.

William Ray Pelger

be careful as many post trial motions are deemed to be denied if not ruled upon within 120 days.

Josh P Tolin

As the other lawyers have answered, just be patient. You can't force a Judge to make a ruling. If it has been over 90 days, I have nicely asked the judges clerk if a ruling or decision has been made, and remind her that a motion is pending and has been taken under submission.

Matthew Adam Pek

By law - notwithstanding the trial judge's enormous discretion in deciding all things of this nature - at least in New York, the State Court Judges are "supposed" to (according to the applicable laws governing judges and deadlines and the like) render their decision on any given motion within SIXTY (60) days from the date of full submission of all motion papers, opposition and reply (if any).

Stephen F. Mcwhirter

Generally, the Court can take as long as it wants to issue an order. It cannot act until the opposing party has had a chance to respond. If the opposing party responds, your boyfriend will likely have an opportunity to file a reply in support of his motion.

What is a motion in a lawsuit?

What Is a Motion? When you become involved in a lawsuit, you may want the court to agree to something outside of the normal litigation process. For example, you or your opponent may want the court to drop the case ( motion to dismiss) or to decide the winner without having to undergo a full trial ( motion for summary judgment ). ...

Do motions require a hearing?

A motion either requires a hearing or does not require a hearing, and the decision to hold a hearing on certain motions may be made by the judge on a case-by-case basis. You may request a hearing on your motion. Thank you for subscribing!

What is a motion for summary judgment?

Motions are quite diverse, but the most prevalent one is a motion for summary judgment. If you bring a motion for summary judgment, you are asking the court to make a final ruling on the case before a trial has been conducted. This could be of great benefit, depending on the case, since you save time, money, and energy from having to further litigate your case. However, motion for summary judgments are not always available to litigating parties. For a motion for summary judgment to be granted, there must be no genuine issue of material fact – the reason this is important is because the judge/jury is expected to make decisions about the facts of the case at trial, so in order to skip the trial process, there cannot be leftover issues that should have gone to trial. If there is even one genuine issue of material fact, the court must deny the motion for summary judgment and move the case forward to trial.

What is the purpose of a motion to dismiss?

The purpose of the motion to dismiss is to put your opponent to the test right away in the case, and to signal to the judge that she may have some weak claims. It’s like a game of “chicken.”. It costs money to play chicken with your opponent in a lawsuit.

Is fraud a serious accusation?

Fraud is a pretty serious accusation. The available damages for fraud are greater. So the law compensates for that by making the plaintiff plead the facts and details of the alleged fraud much more fully and completely.

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