Litigation Lawyers in Rainbow

In Rainbow, Alabama, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery procedure in civil litigation.

"Discovery" is a procedure that happens before a trial in Rainbow, Alabama. During the discovery process, both sides are obligated to make relevant information available to each other.

One way to receive this information in Rainbow, Alabama is to conduct a deposition. A deposition, at its core, is a fairly simple process. A deposition is a question and answer session conducted outside the courtroom. Normally, it takes place in the office space of an attorney representing one of the parties. There are a few people who are almost always present at the deposition: there's the person being deposed, the lawyer who is going to be asking the questions, a lawyer representing the other side of the lawsuit, who can object to any questions being asked (a judge can rule on the objections later), and a court reporter or video recorder, to ensure that the testimony ends up on the record.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Rainbow, Alabama

Depositions in Rainbow, Alabama are meant to get verbal testimony on the record and into evidence, when there is concern that the individual being deposed might be unable to show up and testify at trial, or their testimony will take far too long for them to testify at trial.

Rainbow, Alabama civil depositions can go on for a long time - sometimes going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to provide your testimony in a Rainbow, Alabama civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Rainbow, Alabama authorizes witnesses who are appearing in depositions to be paid a set amount of money for their time, and reimbursed for travel expenses. However, if there is any evidence that this money is being used to influence a witness' testimony, there is going to be a significant problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

If you are called to a deposition in Rainbow, Alabama, it's absolutely necessary that you answer all the questions truthfully, to the best of your knowledge. When testifying in a deposition, you are under oath, just as you would be in open court. Deliberately lying in a deposition is perjury, which is a serious crime.

How Can A Rainbow, Alabama Lawyer Help?

If you are directly immersed in a lawsuit in Rainbow, Alabama, and have to appear at a deposition, you should already be represented by a lawyer. It goes without saying that you should do whatever they advise you to do throughout the deposition.

If you are not directly immersed in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in Rainbow, Alabama. You likely don't need to hire a lawyer in that case, but it might be a good idea to at least get a consultation from one.