Answer 6 quick questions to get personalized guidance for your California case
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Many defamation situations resolve with a strong cease and desist letter. Try this first before expensive litigation.
Your case involves significant damages and clear defamation. An attorney can evaluate the strength of your claim and pursue it effectively.
Your case has some merit. Start with a strong cease and desist, then consider whether litigation makes sense.
Defamation is a false statement presented as fact that harms your reputation. California distinguishes between libel (written) and slander (spoken), with different rules for each.
California's anti-SLAPP law (Code of Civil Procedure 425.16) can quickly kill weak defamation lawsuits:
Some false statements are so harmful that damages are presumed (you don't have to prove actual harm):
Suing for defamation can draw MORE attention to the false statements. Barbara Streisand sued over a photo of her house, and the lawsuit made millions more people see it. Consider whether fighting publicly is worth it, or if a quiet cease and desist might be better.
1 year from publication of the defamatory statement. For online posts, the clock starts when it was first posted (not when you discovered it). Act quickly.
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