Litigation Lawyers in Lake Elsinore

In Lake Elsinore, California, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery process in civil litigation.

In Lake Elsinore, California, "discovery" is a time-consuming procedure that occurs before a case goes to trial. In the process, each side of the lawsuit is legally required to disclose all of the relevant information they have in their possession to the other side.

One way to get this information in Lake Elsinore, California 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 Lake Elsinore, California

Depositions are normally conducted in Lake Elsinore, California if a person's testimony will take several days, or more, to deliver. By doing this before a trial, the jury can be presented just with the testimony that turns out to be relevant, saving everybody a good deal of time. It is also useful if there is any reason to suspect that the witness will be unable to show up in court.

Lake Elsinore, California 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 Lake Elsinore, California civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

Therefore, Lake Elsinore, California'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 being deposed in Lake Elsinore, California 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 Lake Elsinore, California Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Lake Elsinore, California 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 Lake Elsinore, California. 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.