Rule 3 Commencement

A civil case officially starts when someone files a complaint with the court clerk. Filing the complaint is what kicks off the lawsuit and gets it into the court system.

There's one exception worth knowing about. When it comes to deadlines set by statutes of limitations (the time limits for filing certain types of claims), the case may be considered "started" at a different point, not necessarily when the complaint is filed. So if you're worried about running out of time to file a claim, don't assume that simply filing your complaint always locks in your filing date for those deadline purposes. Check the specific rules or talk to someone who knows them, since this can affect whether your claim counts as being filed on time.