Civil Depositions in Kent, Washington

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Litigation Lawyers in Kent

Civil depositions occur during Kent, Washington civil litigation, as part of the discovery process.

In Kent, Washington, "discovery" is a process that occurs before a civil trial, during which both sides are required to disclose relevant evidence to the other.

One way to acquire this information in Kent, Washington 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 Kent, Washington

In Kent, Washington, the main reason to conduct a deposition, as opposed to having someone testify in court, is to save time. After days of depositions, the jury can be presented with just the relevant testimony, if the case goes to trial. Additionally, it's a good idea to conduct a deposition if there's any reason to believe that the witness will not be able to show up to court to testify, due to poor health, or any other reason.

Civil Depositions in Kent, Washington can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are required to appear for a deposition in Kent, Washington, it can prove to be a substantial inconvenience.

Because of this fact, the law in Kent, Washington 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 specific way ceases to be compensation, and becomes bribery, which is a crime.

In Kent, Washington 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 very steep fines.

How Can A Kent, Washington Lawyer Help?

If you are the defendant or plaintiff in a lawsuit, chances are good that you'll have to appear in a deposition. You should, by this point, already be represented by a Kent, Washington civil litigation attorney. You should do whatever they tell you to do (unless, of course, they tell you to lie, in which case you should find a new lawyer).

If you're not a party to the case, but have relevant information, you might be subpoenaed to appear in a deposition. In this case, you probably don't need to hire a Kent, Washington litigation attorney, but it would not be a bad idea to seek out a brief consultation with one, to get an idea of what to expect.

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Life in Kent

Kent is located in King County, Washington. It is a surrounding suburb of Seattle. Per the 2010 census, Kent is home to 92,411 people.

Top employers include REI, Oberto Sausage, Boeing, Coho Distributing, Sysco, Alaska Airlines and Starbucks Coffee. Other employers include small law offices and boutique law firms that employ many competent attorneys and support staff. Such entities easily tend to the legal needs of residents.

The city is well-recognized as the popular host for such events as the Cantebury Faire, Kent Cornucopia Days, Kent Farmers Market, ShoWare Center, and Kent Saturday Market.

Famous residents include Earl Anthony, Ernie Conwell, Jeff Jaeger, Brenda Raganot, Cam Weaver, and Kelly Bachand.

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