A very close relative of mine, a nephew, recently received court documents informing him that we was being sued in small claims court as a result of a vehicle accident over three years ago.

Needless to say he was very upset, not only at the inconvenience, but for the fact that the plaintiff's were requesting damages of just over $8,500.00 plus court costs. This is an large sum of money for a cash poor, debt ridden university student.

That plus the fact that he's just met a really nice young lady on an internet dating site, and she was taking up a lot of his time!

Between his studies, his work term and now a new young lady on the scene, spare time was not something he had a lot of.

After he calmed down a bit, he asked for my help in drafting a statement of defense. Now I don't know if you've ever been involved in something like this, but let me tell you, the paperwork can be endless.

In my previous work experience with a private investigation company, I know how important it is to be clear and concise when communicating, and I decided to put that into practice here.

I asked him to dig up all the information he could that related to the accident, including the police report and any insurance correspondence.

I hopped on the internet (hey, it's good for more than just internet dating!) and given that three years had passed since the accident I decided to do some searching about statutes of limitations. Lo and behold, not five minutes later I had the information I was looking for.

In my nephew's jurisdiction, there is something called the Limitations Act. This Act limits the filing of a suit for damages to three years from the time the plaintiff becomes aware of the situation. Considering the plaintiff was involved in the accident, it was reasonable to assume that he was aware. STRIKE ONE.

In addition to the plaintiff's vehicle, there was another vehicle involved in the accident. This vehicle belonged to a relative of the plaintiff.

I had my nephew call his insurance company to inquire about claims arising from the accident. He was informed that the second vehicle was registered to someone living in another city, and, get this, was uninsured!

And NOW they want to sue for damages?? Unbelievable. STRIKE TWO.

During the settlement conference, the plaintiffs were asked why they waited so long to come forward. The response was that the police officer who attended the accident was not forthcoming with information.

As anyone who's ever been involved in a matter involving the police, the one thing they're usually pretty good at is filing reports. Accidents on public property that require police attendance become a matter of public record.

Anyone can plunk down their money and get a copy of the report. Which my nephew did a few weeks after the accident. STRIKE THREE.

When the judge asked my nephew if he wanted to offer a settlement, he declined. The judge ordered the matter to trial, and told my nephew that he had a very strong case.

A few weeks later, he received documents in the mail informing him that the plaintiffs wanted to drop the case! BATTER'S OUT!!!

The point is this. To get what you want, get your fact straight. Do some research and ask questions; in other words, be proactive.

Think of it as putting your best face forward when you want to ask someone out on an online dating site. You post your profile (in this instance the statement of defense), you communicate (in this case the settlement conference), and you state your case. Being clear and concise in anything goes a long way to getting you what you want.