What is Necessary to Complete to File a Lawsuit
Filing a lawsuit here in Denver can be time-consuming and complicated. Each step must be completed correctly and in order, and you may not know what to do next or have difficulty visualizing the entire process from beginning to end. Here’s a quick guide to filing your civil lawsuit or small-claims case in Denver:
- Complete Form JDF 250
Form JDF 250 is the Notice, Claim, and Summons to Appear for Trial. This is the first step in all civil cases. To complete Form JDF 250, you will need:
- Names of all plaintiff(s) and defendant(s).
- Addresses of all plaintiff(s) and defendant(s).
- Brief description of the claim, including:
- What you are claiming.
- The amount you are requesting.
- Summary of reasons to support the claim.
- If the defendant is a business, you will also need:
- Name of the business’ registered agent from the Colorado Secretary of State.
- Organization type (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, Corporation).
- If the defendant is a government agency, you may also need:
- Proof of written notice to the Attorney General.
- File Form JDF 250 with the Court
The next step in filing your lawsuit is to file Form JDF 250 with the Denver County Clerk of Court. When filing Form JDF 250:
- Bring the entire 4-part form, even if there are parts that don’t apply to you.
- Pay the filing fee ($31 or $55, depending on your case).
- You will receive a Court Trial date and time.
- You may be required to complete mediation on or before the Court Trial date. The Clerk of Court will notify you if this is required.
- Serve all stakeholders
The last step in filing your civil lawsuit in Denver is the serving of legal process to all case stakeholders. Parties to be served include:
- All defendants.
- All witnesses.
- Anyone else from whom you need evidence or believe would be beneficial to appear in Court, such as subject matter experts.
Service must be completed at least 15 days before the Court Trial date, or it will be rescheduled. In cases with multiple defendants, each defendant must be served the “Defendant’s Copy” of JDF 250 separately. This means photocopying the “Defendant’s Copy,” front and back, for each defendant named in the summons.
Service on defendants, witnesses, and others must also comply with Colorado state and Denver county laws. Compliant process service may be completed by:
- The Sheriff’s Department.
- A private process server.
- Anyone 18 or older, not a party to the case, and who knows the rules of process service.
- Certified Mail sent by the Clerk of Court.
In addition to the summons to appear, you may also need to serve Form JDF 75 – Stipulation or Form JDF 254 – Subpoena or Subpoena to Produce. The rules of process service still apply to these forms.
Hopefully, this guide will help you navigate the civil lawsuit process in Denver a little easier. Whenever you are ready to file your case, trust the process service experts at Accurate Serve Denver to serve your legal process on its intended target quickly, efficiently, and affordably.