For this Learn About Law article, our Illinois civil defense attorneys discuss the importance of written discovery in the preparation for depositions and civil trials. 

Written discovery documents are written requests for detailed answers to a series of questions, requests for production of specific documents, and requests to admit certain facts to be true. Written discovery can reduce the number of issues in dispute at trial and it can often bring the parties closer to settlement by making the basis for each side's position clear. We also explain common objections to discovery requests and how those objections and other failures to adequately respond to discovery requests are resolved.

Click here to read the full article by our Illinois civil defense attorneys explaining the written discovery phase of civil litigation.

In this article, our Illinois civil defense attorneys explain motions for summary judgment in civil litigation.

Motions for summary judgment can be used to dispose of a claim without the need for a costly trial.  Courts will issue judgment in favor of the defendant without a trial if the defendant can show that there is no real factual dispute that must be proven before the judge or a jury, and that, based on the facts, the law entitles the defendant to judgment in the case. Motions for summary judgment may be filed at any point after the pleadings have been filed, but are most commonly filed after written discovery and depositions, once most of the facts are apparent to both sides. If favorable settlement is not possible, motions for summary judgment are a key tool for terminating litigation before trial.

​Read the full article from our Illinois civil defense attorneys, who explain how motions for summary judgment work in civil litigation. 

In this article, our Illinois litigation defense attorneys discuss common defenses to breach of contract claims.

These typical arguments include:

• The other party has already significantly breached the contract (material breach);
• The other party has announced his or her intention to breach the contract, or acts in a way that would lead you to believe that he or she intends to breach the contract (anticipatory repudiaiton);
• You signed the contract under physical or financial threat (duress);
• You were tricked into signing the contract (fraud)
• The contract terms are no longer possible to perform due to factors outside of your control (impracticability).

Read the full article by our Illinois defense attorneys explaining Breach of Contract.