Litigation Lawyers in De Queen

In De Queen, Arkansas, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery process in civil litigation.

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

One way to get this information in De Queen, Arkansas 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. Normally, 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 De Queen, Arkansas

Depositions in De Queen, Arkansas serve a very important purpose: getting testimony on the record, and admitted as evidence, when there is some reason to suspect that the witness won't be able to appear in court during trial, because of health, potential incarceration, or any other reason.

Civil Depositions in De Queen, Arkansas can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are required to appear for a deposition in De Queen, Arkansas, it can prove to be a considerable inconvenience.

Therefore, De Queen, Arkansas's civil procedure rules authorize a person to be compensated for the time and money they spend in appearing at a deposition. If the witness lives far away from the location of the deposition, as is sometimes the case in large trials, they can be reimbursed for travel and lodging expenses, and compensated for their time. However, this money cannot be used to influence HOW they testify, just to mitigate the inconvenience associated with testifying.

If you are called to a deposition in De Queen, Arkansas, it's absolutely necessary that you answer all the questions truthfully, to the best of your knowledge. When testifying in a deposition, you are under oath, just as you would be in open court. Deliberately lying in a deposition is perjury, which is a serious crime.

How Can A De Queen, Arkansas Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a De Queen, Arkansas 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 are not directly immersed in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in De Queen, Arkansas. You probably don't need to hire a lawyer in that case, but it might be a good idea to at least get a consultation from one.