Full question:
When a person is given a bill for services and materials but is denied any details of how that amount due has been tabulated. What precedent can be used to force them to show you what you are being charged for?
- Category: Discovery
- Date:
- State: Alabama
Answer:
The response to this situation depends on the billing terms outlined in your contract. If you dispute the bill, you can initiate a fact-finding process by filing a complaint. This allows you to request supporting documentation for the bill through a request for production of documents. Additionally, you can serve written questions, known as interrogatories, requiring the other party to provide written answers within a specified timeframe.
During the discovery phase of a lawsuit, you can request information through interrogatories or document requests, as long as they are likely to lead to admissible evidence. If the other party objects to your request, they can seek a protective order from the court to limit or deny it if they believe it is irrelevant, overly broad, burdensome, or intended to cause delay or harassment.
If a party fails to respond to a discovery request in a timely manner, you can ask the court to compel them to respond and potentially pay costs and sanctions.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.