Because you, as the plaintiff, have the burden of proof, your lawyer will present your case first during trial. After your lawyer has presented all of the evidence in support of your complaint, he will "rest." Then the defendants will present the evidence in support of their defense. After each witness testifies for the side that called him, the other side has the right to ask questions. This is called cross-examination. A famous legal quotation describes cross-examination as "the greatest legal engine ever invented for the discovery of truth." A good lawyer uses this tool effectively, either to show the strength of the client’s case or to show weaknesses in the other side’s case. While cross-examination is frequently portrayed by television shows and movies as hostile, it does not have to be hostile in order to be effective.