Litigation Lawyers in Minot

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

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

One way to receive this information in Minot, 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. Typically, 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 Minot, North Dakota

Depositions in Minot, 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.

Civil Depositions in Minot, North Dakota can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are obligated to appear for a deposition in Minot, North Dakota, it can prove to be a substantial inconvenience.

Because of this fact, the law in Minot, North Dakota permits 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 specific way ceases to be compensation, and becomes bribery, which is a crime.

In Minot, North Dakota 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 Minot, North Dakota Lawyer Help?

If you are directly engaged in a lawsuit in Minot, North Dakota, 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 a party to the lawsuit, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least contact with a Minot, North Dakota attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.