How Long Does a Civil Lawsuit Take in Minnesota?

Here is a breakdown of the typical steps in Minnesota civil lawsuits:

1. Pre-lawsuit: One week to a few months. During this step, parties investigate underlying facts, review documents, receive legal advice from their lawyers, and attempt to negotiate a resolution. Straightforward civil lawsuits may resolve within a week, but more complicated cases could take several months.
2. Pleading stage: One to two months. After the pre-lawsuit stage, one party begins the civil lawsuit by serving the defendant with a summons and complaint. Service of the summons and complaint compels the defendant to appear in court to defend themselves against the lawsuit.  
3. Disclosure and discovery: One to six months. The disclosure and discovery stage involves exchanging information about evidence and witnesses with the opposition. This phase includes exchanging interrogatories, which are written questions about the case, and requests for the production of documents. It may also include depositions of the parties and other witnesses. This step can take several weeks if the parties agree to expedite the process, but it usually takes a few months. 
4. Motion stage: One to three months. Motions are formal requests for desired orders, rulings, or judgments. For example, a motion for summary judgment asks the court to rule on part or all of a defense or claim. If a party can show there is no genuine issue requiring a trial, the judge will probably dismiss the opposing party’s defense or claim.
5. Pretrial stage: Approximately one month. During the pre-trial stage, parties file requests and motions before the pre-trial hearing, also known as the trial management conference or settlement conference. The judge may suggest a one-day mediation during this period if there is no winning motion or settlement. 
6. Trial and decision: One day to three months. Most civil cases require one to three days of trial time, but complicated cases may take up to two weeks. If the case has post-trial motions, it may take up to three months to resolve.
7. Appeal: Six months to over a year. Most civil lawsuits do not reach the appeal stage, but if they do, appeals must generally be filed with the court within 60 days of a decision. After filing the appeal, it may take half a year or more to receive a decision from the state court, the Minnesota Court of Appeals. An appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court will take much longer.
8. Post-judgment: One month to many years. If you get a judgment at any stage of the case, you can try to collect the judgment. If the judgment debtor agrees to pay, the winning party may receive payment within a month. However, you may need many years to collect if the debtor does not cooperate or lacks the personal property to pay.