Litigation Lawyers in Bismarck

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in Bismarck, North Dakota. They are part of the discovery process.

"Discovery" is a process that occurs before a trial in Bismarck, North Dakota. During the discovery process, both sides are required to make relevant information available to each other.

In Bismarck, North Dakota, one way to obtain relevant evidence is to ask people 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 Bismarck, North Dakota

Depositions are usually conducted in Bismarck, North Dakota if a person's testimony will take several days, or more, to deliver. By doing this before a trial, the jury can be presented just with the testimony that turns out to be relevant, saving everybody a good deal of time. It is also useful if there is any reason to suspect that the witness will be unable to show up in court.

Civil Depositions in Bismarck, North Dakota, can take a very long time to be completed, usually lasting several days, and sometimes going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Bismarck, North Dakota should be prepared for some significant inconvenience.

Because of this fact, the law in Bismarck, North Dakota allows witnesses who are appearing for depositions to be compensated for the expense associated with it. This includes reimbursement for gas, lodging, and food. They can also be paid a certain amount of money for every hour they testify, to compensate them for their time. However, this money can only be conditioned on the witness showing up and giving truthful testimony. Trying to condition it on the witness testifying in a certain way ceases to be compensation, and becomes bribery, which is a crime.

If you are being deposed in Bismarck, North Dakota you absolutely must answer all the questions truthfully and completely, to the best of your knowledge. You are under oath, and if you lie, and are caught, you could be charged with perjury, which can carry jail time.

How Can A Bismarck, North Dakota Lawyer Help?

If you are a party to a lawsuit, and are called to a deposition, chances are you're already represented by a , North Dakota attorney. Obviously, you should follow their advice with respect to the deposition.

If, on the other hand, you're not directly involved in the case, but have been subpoenaed to appear in a deposition as a witness in Bismarck, North Dakota, you may not need to hire a lawyer. The lawyers for both sides will probably prep you for the deposition, giving you an idea of what to expect.