Litigation Lawyers in Fargo

Civil depositions happen during civil litigation in Fargo, North Dakota. They are part of the discovery procedure.

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

One way to obtain this information in Fargo, North Dakota 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. Usually, 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 Fargo, North Dakota

Depositions in Fargo, North Dakota 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.

It should not be any shock, then, that civil depositions in Fargo, North Dakota can go on for a very long time. If you are contacted to appear in a deposition in Fargo, North Dakota, this can be a major headache.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Fargo, North Dakota 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 significant problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

When giving a deposition in Fargo, North Dakota, be sure to answer all of the questions honestly, and to the absolute best of your knowledge. You will be sworn in before the deposition starts, and you will be under oath, just as if you were in open court. So, if you lie, you are committing perjury, which can land you in jail.

How Can A Fargo, North Dakota Lawyer Help?

If you're a party to a Fargo, North Dakota lawsuit and are obligated to appear at a deposition, one would hope that you've already retained a lawyer by this stage in the proceedings. Your attorney will have a lot of advice for you, which you should of course follow.

If you're not a party to a lawsuit in Fargo, North Dakota, 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.