Litigation is the process of going to court to argue your case. A lawsuit involves a plaintiff filing a formal complaint with the appropriate court, and then serving a copy upon a defendant to provide them notice of the impending court case. The defendant then files an answer within a prescribed amount of time, and the lawsuit commences. Litigation of a formal lawsuit generally involves three stages: discovery, trial, and post-trial. In addition to the actual lawsuit, pre-suit negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, and appeals may also be part of the litigation process. Motion practice is the mechanism where a party petitions the court to make a decision regarding a disputed aspect of the case. Litigation is typically settled by agreement between the parties, but may also be heard and decided by a jury or judge in court.