Litigation Lawyers in Palo Alto
In Palo Alto, California, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery process in civil litigation.
In Palo Alto, 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 Palo Alto, California 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. Usually, 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 Palo Alto, California
Depositions in Palo Alto, California 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.
Civil Depositions in Palo Alto, California can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are required to appear for a deposition in Palo Alto, California, it can prove to be a significant inconvenience.
Therefore, Palo Alto, California's civil procedure rules allow 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 Palo Alto, California, it's absolutely essential 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 Palo Alto, California Lawyer Help?
If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Palo Alto, 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'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 Palo Alto, California 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.