Litigation Lawyers in Farmington

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in Farmington, New Mexico. They are part of the discovery process.

Discovery, in Farmington, New Mexico is a very crucial 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.

One way to get this information in Farmington, New Mexico is to simply sit down with someone involved in the dispute, or with knowledge of some of the issues, and ask them questions. This can be done through a civil deposition, which is basically a Q&A session between a lawyer, and the person being deposed. A lawyer for the other side will also be present. The person being deposed is answering their questions under oath, just as if they were testifying in court. Because of this, it's important to get their statements on the record. For that purpose, a court reporter or videographer will be present.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Farmington, New Mexico

Depositions in Farmington, New Mexico are meant to get verbal testimony on the record and into evidence, when there is concern that the person 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.

Farmington, New Mexico civil depositions can go on for a long time - occasionally going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to give your testimony in a Farmington, New Mexico civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Farmington, New Mexico authorizes 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.

If you are being deposed in Farmington, New Mexico 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 Farmington, New Mexico Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Farmington, New Mexico 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 Farmington, New Mexico, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be called to appear in a deposition. In that case, you probably don't need to hire a lawyer.