Litigation Lawyers in Hampden County

A civil deposition in Hampden County, Massachusetts happens in many civil litigation cases, as part of the discovery procedure.

Discovery, in Hampden County, Massachusetts is a very essential step in the civil litigation process. It is when all of the relevant evidence is gathered by both sides, and, generally, each side must disclose that evidence to the other.

In Hampden County, Massachusetts, one way to acquire relevant evidence is to ask persons involved in the dispute (both parties and witnesses) about their knowledge of the matter. This is done through a civil deposition. It is essentially a question and answer session between a lawyer, and a witness or party to the action. A lawyer for the other side is present, as well as a court reporter or videographer. The lawyer asks questions of the person being deposed, who must answer them under oath.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Hampden County, Massachusetts

Depositions in Hampden County, Massachusetts serve a very significant purpose: receiving testimony on the record, and admitted as evidence, when there is some reason to suspect that the witness won't be able to appear in court during trial, because of health, possible incarceration, or any other reason.

It should not be any shock, then, that civil depositions in Hampden County, Massachusetts can go on for a very long time. If you are contacted to appear in a deposition in Hampden County, Massachusetts, this can be a huge headache.

To mitigate this, the law of Hampden County, Massachusetts typically entitles people being deposed to reimbursement. They can be compensated for travel expenses, lodging, and a can be given a small amount of money simply for their time. However, this is meant to be reimbursement for the time and expense incurred in attending a deposition, and it is most definitely not payment for the witness to provide testimony that's advantageous to one side or the other.

In Hampden County, Massachusetts 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 extremely steep fines.

How Can A Hampden County, Massachusetts Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have a Hampden County, Massachusetts 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 a lawsuit in Hampden County, Massachusetts, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be contacted to appear in a deposition. In that case, you likely don't need to hire a lawyer.