How a Civil Lawsuit Works in Nevada, Step by Step
NOT LEGAL ADVICE - CONSULT A LICENSED ATTORNEYBy Ask Nevada Law Editorial · Updated
A Nevada civil case — one person or business suing another, usually for money — generally moves through about ten stages, from filing a complaint to judgment and appeal. The Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure set the sequence and most of the deadlines: 120 days to serve the defendant, 21 days for the defendant to answer, and 30 days to appeal after notice of the judgment. This page walks through each stage in order.
Where a civil case starts: justice court or district court
Nevada splits civil cases between two trial courts by the amount in dispute. Justice courts hear most civil claims where the amount claimed does not exceed $15,000 (NRS 4.370). Claims above that amount — and certain case types such as title disputes over real property — belong in district court, the state’s court of general jurisdiction. Family-law matters such as divorce are civil cases too, heard in district court under their own statutes and explained separately.
Inside justice court there is also a simplified track: small claims, for money-only claims up to $10,000 (NRS 73.010). Small claims trades formal procedure for speed — more on that after the step-by-step sequence below, which describes an ordinary (non-small-claims) civil case.
The eleven steps, from complaint to judgment
The sequence below follows the Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure, which govern district court. Justice court civil cases follow a parallel set of rules (the Justice Courts Rules of Civil Procedure) with the same basic shape.
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Pleadings · Step 1
The complaint is filed
A civil action in Nevada is commenced by filing a complaint with the court. The complaint names the person suing (the plaintiff) and the person being sued (the defendant), states the factual allegations, and says what relief the plaintiff is asking for. Courts charge a filing fee, and each court publishes procedures for requesting a fee waiver.
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Pleadings · Step 2
The summons is issued and served
The court clerk issues a summons — the official notice that a lawsuit has been filed. The summons and complaint must be served on each defendant no later than 120 days after the complaint is filed, unless the court grants an extension. If a defendant is not served within that window, the rule directs the court to dismiss the action as to that defendant without prejudice, which means it can generally be refiled.
Rule 4 also spells out who may serve papers and the approved methods of service.
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Pleadings · Step 3
The defendant responds — or the case can default
A defendant who has been served generally has 21 days to serve an answer. Instead of answering, a defendant may file a motion under Rule 12 — for example, a motion to dismiss arguing the complaint is legally defective. If a defendant never responds, the rules allow the clerk to enter a default and the court to enter a default judgment, so a case can end without the defendant ever appearing.
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Setting up the case · Step 4
Early case conference and required disclosures
In district court, the parties must hold an early case conference and exchange initial disclosures — the documents, witness names, and damages computations each side intends to rely on — without waiting to be asked. The parties then file a case conference report that maps out a discovery plan for the case.
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Setting up the case · Step 5
The court sets the schedule
The court manages the case through scheduling and pretrial conferences. Scheduling orders set deadlines for discovery, motions, and trial, and the court can adjust them for good cause. From this point forward, the case moves on the calendar the court sets.
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Discovery · Step 6
Each side gathers evidence
Discovery is the formal exchange of evidence, governed by Rules 26 through 37. The main tools are written interrogatories (Rule 33), depositions taken under oath (Rule 30), requests for production of documents and things (Rule 34), and requests for admission (Rule 36). Rule 26 defines what is discoverable, and discovery disputes are resolved by motion. Discovery is usually the longest stage of a contested case.
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Motions · Step 7
Motions can narrow — or end — the case
Either side may move for summary judgment on all or part of the case. The court grants summary judgment when the record shows there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. A granted motion can end the case before trial; a denied one sends the disputed issues on toward trial.
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Resolution · Step 8
Settlement talks and offers of judgment
Most civil cases resolve by agreement rather than by verdict. The parties can negotiate or mediate at any point. Nevada’s rules also formalize this stage: more than 21 days before trial, any party may serve a written offer of judgment, and a party who rejects an offer and then does worse at trial can face cost consequences under the rule.
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Trial · Step 9
Trial — before a judge or a jury
Cases that do not settle go to trial. The right to a jury trial, where the state constitution or a statute provides one, is preserved — but a party must demand a jury no later than the entry of the order first setting the case for trial. If no timely demand is made, the judge decides the facts in a bench trial. Either way, each side presents evidence and argument, and the factfinder decides.
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Judgment · Step 10
Judgment is entered
The court’s final decision is set out in a written judgment and entered in the court records. Entry of judgment matters because post-judgment deadlines — including the deadline to appeal — are measured from service of written notice of entry.
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After judgment · Step 11
Collecting the judgment — or appealing it
A money judgment is not a check; the winning party (the judgment creditor) uses court collection processes to enforce it if the losing party does not pay. The losing party may instead appeal: in a civil case the notice of appeal is generally due no later than 30 days after written notice of entry of the judgment is served. Appeals are filed in the district court and decided by the Nevada Supreme Court, which assigns a share of cases to the Court of Appeals.
Small claims: the simplified track
For money-only claims of $10,000 or less, Nevada’s justice courts offer small claims — a deliberately informal version of the process above. A small claims case is commenced by filing an affidavit of complaint rather than a formal complaint (JCRCP 88). There is no formal discovery, and trials are informal, “with the sole object of dispensing fair and speedy justice between the parties” (JCRCP 96). Motions built on the formal civil rules can be summarily denied. Either side may appeal a small claims judgment to the district court, but the deadline is short: the notice of appeal must be filed within 7 calendar days from service of the judgment (JCRCP 98). The full sequence — filing the affidavit, serving the defendant, the hearing, and the appeal window — is walked through on the small claims process page.
How long does a civil case take?
Nevada law fixes some of the clock — 120 days to serve the complaint, 21 days to answer, 30 days to appeal — but not the total. Overall length depends on the court’s calendar, how much discovery the parties take, how many motions are filed, and whether the case settles. As a general description: a case that ends in default or early settlement can conclude quickly; small claims cases are designed to be the fastest track; and a contested district court case that runs through full discovery, summary judgment briefing, and a trial setting is commonly measured in months, and in complex matters longer. No outcome or timeline is guaranteed in any particular case.