Litigation Lawyers in West Des Moines

In West Des Moines, Iowa, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery process in civil litigation.

The discovery process in West Des Moines, Iowa is one of the most important parts of the civil litigation process. During the discovery phase, each side of the lawsuit is required to make all of the relevant information it has in its possession available to the other side.

In West Des Moines, Iowa, one way to get this information is to find the people involved in the dispute (whether they're witnesses or parties), and ask them questions about the issues you believe them to have knowledge of. A civil deposition is usually a pretty simple process: the person being deposed is sworn in (they are under oath, just as if they were in a courtroom). Because the whole point of a deposition is to get testimony on the record, a stenographer or video technician will also be present, recording the whole deposition. The lawyer then asks questions of the witness, and the lawyers for the other side are able to object to certain lines of questioning, if they wish.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in West Des Moines, Iowa

If the parties believe that a witness in West Des Moines, Iowa won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, poor health, upcoming military deployment, potential incarceration, or any other reason, a deposition is a very good way to get their testimony on the record before the trial. Also, if they have to be questioned for several days, it is a good way to save the court's time.

So, it shouldn't be surprising that civil depositions in West Des Moines, Iowa can often go on for several days. If you are subpoenaed for a deposition in , Iowa, you are usually obligated to appear. This can be a source of some inconvenience.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, West Des Moines, Iowa allows 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 serious problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

In West Des Moines, Iowa depositions, everyone being deposed is under oath. This means that you are legally and morally obligated to answer every question truthfully. If you deliberately misrepresent your knowledge (lie), you are guilty of perjury. And if you're caught, you could end up facing jail time and/or some very steep fines.

How Can A West Des Moines, Iowa Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a West Des Moines, Iowa lawyer. If either party to the lawsuit calls you for a deposition, your lawyer will have plenty of advice for you. You should, of course, follow that advice to the letter.

If you're not a party to the case, but have relevant information, you might be subpoenaed to appear in a deposition. In this case, you probably don't need to hire a West Des Moines, Iowa litigation attorney, but it would not be a bad idea to seek out a brief consultation with one, to get an idea of what to expect.