Rockland County Civil Litigation Lawyer

Civil disputes can arise for several reasons, and oftentimes, they begin with what may initially seem like a relatively straightforward disagreement. However, when money, property, contractual obligations, or the future of a business is at stake, these conflicts can quickly become far more complicated. If you are currently involved in a serious disagreement with another individual, business, property owner, partner, or other party, you most likely have several questions about your legal options and what the civil litigation process may look like going forward. Here at the Law Office of Peter A. Hurwitz, PLLC we have decades of experience representing clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters, and we stand ready to put that experience to work for you. Contact a skilled Rockland County civil litigation lawyer from our firm for an initial consultation today so we can discuss your case.

What is Civil Litigation?

Civil litigation is the legal process used to resolve non-criminal disputes between individuals, companies, organizations, and other entities. Depending on the nature of the case and the amount of money involved, a civil matter may be heard in the New York Supreme Court or another court with the authority to decide the dispute.

That being said, and this is important to understand: not every civil case has to end with a trial. In fact, many disputes are resolved through negotiation, settlement discussions, mediation, or other means before a judge or jury ever issues a final decision.

Our Civil Litigation Services

Contract Disputes

Contracts are used in many areas of both personal and professional life. Rather obviously, when two or more parties enter into a valid agreement, each party is generally expected to follow through with the promises and obligations set forth within that agreement. Unfortunately, this does not always happen.

Contract disputes can arise for various different reasons. In some cases, one party may fail to perform an obligation required under the agreement. In others, the parties may disagree over the meaning of certain provisions, whether a contract was properly formed, whether it has been modified, or what remedies may be available after a dispute arises. Contract litigation may involve many different types of agreements, including the following:

• Business contracts
• Commercial leases
• Construction agreements
• Service contracts
• Partnership agreements
• Purchase and sale agreements
• Vendor and supplier contracts

Depending on the circumstances, a party involved in a contract dispute may seek monetary damages, specific performance, rescission of the agreement, declaratory relief, or another remedy permitted under New York law.

Business & Commercial Litigation

Business disputes are often particularly serious, as they can affect a company’s finances, reputation, and daily operations. Though many business owners, partners, shareholders, vendors, and other parties begin their working relationships on good terms, disagreements can occur over money, control, contractual obligations, business operations, and the direction of the company. Business and commercial litigation can involve a wide variety of legal issues, including the following:

• Partnership disputes
• Shareholder disagreements
• Breach of fiduciary duty claims
• Commercial contract disputes
• Vendor and supplier conflicts
• Collection matters
• Commercial lease disputes
• Business torts
• Business dissolution disputes

Business litigation frequently involves a large volume of records, such as financial statements, corporate documents, emails, contracts, invoices, meeting minutes, bank records, and communications between the parties. Furthermore, the conduct of the parties before and after the dispute began may also affect the outcome of the case.

Depending on the facts involved, a business or business owner may seek compensation for financial losses, lost profits, unpaid debts, damage to the company, injunctive relief, or other remedies available under New York law.

Real Estate & Property Litigation

Real estate is often among the most valuable property a person or business will ever own. Therefore, when a disagreement arises over land, ownership rights, boundaries, access, contracts, or the use of property, the matter should be taken seriously.

Real estate and property litigation can involve many different types of disputes, including the following:

• Boundary lines
• Easements
• Encroachments
• Adverse possession claims
• Partition actions
• Ownership disputes
• Real estate contracts
• Commercial property disagreements
• Quiet title actions

For example, one property owner may believe that a neighbor’s fence, building, driveway, or other structure crosses onto his or her land. In other cases, two parties may disagree over whether one person has the right to use a road, driveway, or portion of another person’s property. Co-owners may also disagree over whether a property should be sold, divided, or retained. Certain disputes may also involve competing ownership claims, errors in deeds or recorded documents, unknown heirs, invalid liens, defects in the chain of title, or other issues affecting ownership.

Resolving these disputes can require the review of deeds, surveys, title reports, municipal records, prior agreements, contracts, inheritance documents, and other historical records. In some cases, testimony from a surveyor, appraiser, or other professional may be necessary to determine the parties’ respective rights and interests.

Though negotiation may resolve certain real estate disputes, litigation is sometimes necessary to obtain a legally enforceable decision and prevent the issue from continuing.

Other Civil Litigation Matters

Our firm also represents clients in a variety of other civil litigation matters, where we routinely assist individuals, property owners, business owners, landlords, tenants, and other parties involved in legal disputes. Depending on the circumstances, this may include matters involving:

• Partnership disputes
• Shareholder disputes
• Commercial lease disputes
• Collection matters
• Business torts
• Declaratory judgment actions
• Injunctive relief
• Property ownership disputes
• Easement and boundary disputes
• Quiet title actions
• Other commercial and civil disputes

Contact a Skilled Civil Litigation Lawyer in Rockland County & NYC Today

Whether your civil dispute involves a broken contract, a business disagreement, a real estate matter, a property ownership issue, or another complex legal conflict, you need an experienced litigation lawyer you can depend on. The Law Office of Peter A. Hurwitz, PLLC has effectively represented the rights and interests of individuals and businesses in Rockland, Westchester, and Orange Counties, as well as in New York City, for decades, and we’re here to represent you, too. Contact our firm today so we can discuss your case.