Evidence: The Heart of Any Lawsuit – An Infographic

1 Evidence: The Heart of Any Lawsuit 77 Evidence – or the facts of the case – is the heart of any lawsuit. The facts will control how the law applies and whether the law, when applied, should call for a certain result. What is Evidence? Evidence includes statements, information, and things that are used to prove or disprove an alleged fact. Examples include testimony (spoken evidence from witnesses given under oath) or written documents such as affidavits (sworn written statements), contracts or medical records. Types of Evidence supports the truth of an assertion (in criminal law, an assertion of guilt or of innocence) directly, i.e., without an intervening inference Direct Non-Direct & Circumstantial relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact-like a fingerprint at the scene of a crime The Rules of Evidence When organizing the facts and the documents before meeting with your attorney for the first time, take the time to call the lawyer to obtain his insight into what evidence is relevant and what evidence is not to your issues. In pre-lawsuit discussions it is wise to consider all available facts with your legal counsel before discounting a set of facts as non-important. During a Lawsuit. When organizing the facts and the documents before meeting with your attorney for the first time, take the time to call the lawyer to obtain his insight into what evidence is relevant and what evidence is not to your issues. In pre-lawsuit discussions it is wise to consider all available facts with your legal counsel before discounting a set of facts as non-important. Catanese & Wells 818-707-0407