If you believe that another person or company has broken the law in a way that costs you money or hurts you, you have the right to sue that entity. Before you take your case to court, you need to complete the following tasks.

Collect Your Evidence

Before you contact a lawyer, you need to have all your evidence in order. This will reduce the amount of time that you spend with your lawyer and better prepare you for your first meeting. Almost any kind of paperwork can serve as evidence, including receipts, time logs, and photographs.

If your evidence includes recordings, check your state’s policy on recording consent to make sure that courts can use your evidence. Organize your evidence by date and purpose and outline the points that each piece supports. Take photographs or make copies of whatever evidence you have so that if something is damaged, you still have proof. Be careful not to tamper with any of your evidence, since this can lead to a judge discounting it. Once you have your evidence in order, you are ready to proceed.

Find a Lawyer

Your next step should be to find a lawyer who can tell you whether your case has legal grounds. While you might want several lawyers’ opinions before you decide to drop your case, if three or four lawyers tell you that your case will not last in court, then you should not continue with the proceedings. However, if the lawyer decides that you do have a case, then you should continue.

Hire the best-qualified lawyer you can find and give him or her all the relevant information. Read your lawyer’s contract carefully before signing it; some do not require payment until the end of a case, while others want ongoing payment. If you do not win your case, these fees can cause you incredible financial stress.

Contact Witnesses

Your lawyer may complete this part of the task, but you should still be involved in the process of finding witnesses. In the case of personal altercations, witnesses are usually people who saw what happened and can testify on your behalf. These reporters are known as eyewitnesses.

In other cases, the court wants to hear from experts in the problem area. For example, if someone’s boat collides with yours and damages it because the captain was inattentive, you should contact an expert maritime witness. Witnesses who have years of experience as captains, such as Mitchell Stoller, provide objective information to the judge or jury about the case in question. Keep in mind that many laws govern your contact with and treatment of witnesses, so be sure to maintain a strict ethical code of conduct.

Legal proceedings are complicated and vary greatly depending on what kind of issue is involved. Before you take your case to court, make sure that you compile your evidence, enlist the help of a lawyer, and find reliable witnesses who can support your side. While these measures do not ensure your success, they do increase your odds.