How to Respond Publicly to a Lawsuit

Responding publicly to a lawsuit requires preparation. It is never a good idea to publicly respond immediately to a lawsuit. The goal of a public response to a lawsuit is to present the facts of the lawsuit and state your position, if applicable. A public response to a lawsuit can be in print or speech.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Gather all information that you have about the lawsuit.
2. Hire an attorney to find out your legal course of action.
3. Investigate the lawsuit with your attorney's help.
4. Determine the type of public response needed. Some of the types of public response are a press conference, a printed press release or an interview. In some cases, more than one type of public response may be needed. Ask your attorney to help you decide what is the best response in your case.
5. Prepare a public statement with your attorney's help. The statement should be professional, factual, concise and objective.
6. Deliver the public statement via the method that you and your attorney determined was best.
7. Answer questions and give interviews only after consulting with your attorney. If you are giving a speech or interview, consult your attorney prior to the event about the matter that should be discussed.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that sometimes the best way to respond publicly to a lawsuit is to simply acknowledge the lawsuit.
• Always be totally honest with your attorney so she can help you prepare the best public response to the lawsuit.
• Never admit guilt or wrongdoing in a public response to a lawsuit without consulting your attorney.
• A public response should not include saying negative things about the person suing you.