Litigation Lawyers in Portland

In Portland, Connecticut, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery procedure in civil litigation.

Discovery, in Portland, Connecticut is a very critical 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 obtain this information in Portland, Connecticut 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 Portland, Connecticut

Depositions in Portland, Connecticut are meant to get verbal testimony on the record and into evidence, when there is concern that the individual 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.

Portland, Connecticut civil depositions can go on for a long time - sometimes going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to provide your testimony in a Portland, Connecticut civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Portland, Connecticut allows 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 significant problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

If you are called to a deposition in Portland, Connecticut, 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 Portland, Connecticut Lawyer Help?

If you are directly involved in a lawsuit in Portland, Connecticut, and have to appear at a deposition, you should already be represented by a lawyer. It goes without saying that you should do whatever they advise you to do throughout the deposition.

If you are not directly involved in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in Portland, Connecticut. You likely 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.