Legal Question in Civil Litigation in New York

Re: Slander suit

I disagree with the attorney who previously responded. A monetary result is not the only type of relief that people attempt to obtain in court. A permanent injunction or restraining order is also available to you. The process, however, is not entirely easy for a layperson to handle. It will be necessary for you to go to the clerk's office in the Supreme Court in your county and tell him that you want to start a lawsuit without a lawyer. The clerk's office may have some forms you can use or you may be directed to somewhere where you can obtain them. You can sue for both monetary relief and a restraining order - you do not have to choose only one. Having an order from the court to show other people may help to maintain your reputation and may be sufficient to stop your sibling from continuing her misconduct.

Of course, you can retain a lawyer to handle the matter for you. Because it is not likely that you could obtain a significant monetary award, lawyers will not be willing to handle your case on a contingency basis. This means that you must pay a lawyer for each hour that he works on the case - a very expensive proposition! Another method would be to hire a lawyer to guide you through the process and prepare some of your paperwork. Since the lawyer will not be going to court, etc., the legal fees can be limited.

Our office has provided similar services via e-mail and telephone with credit card payments. However, since we are in Manhattan, our hourly rate is somewhat high - $350 per hour. A local attorney may be willing to work with you, on the limited basis that I have described, at a lower rate. If you wish to retain our office, please feel free to call (212) 267-7000.

Re: Slander suit

You could do it on your own just as you can do a root canal to yourself. In any case unless your sibling has a huge amount of personal assets a lawsuit of this nature is probably a waste of time. If you know about the drinking problem, you can be assured that any body your sibling is spreading the lie to is aware of it as well. You are better off not wasting your time.

Should you like to discuss this or any other legal matter, you can call my office to schedule an appointment for a consultation or in the alternative, I can be reached for on-phone low-cost legal consultation at 1-800-275-5336 x0233699.