Litigation Lawyers in Fort Walton Beach

In Fort Walton Beach, Florida, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery procedure in civil litigation.

Discovery, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida is a very essential 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 acquire this information in Fort Walton Beach, Florida 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 Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Depositions are typically conducted in Fort Walton Beach, Florida 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 everyone 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.

Fort Walton Beach, Florida 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 Fort Walton Beach, Florida civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To mitigate this, the law of Fort Walton Beach, Florida typically entitles people being deposed to reimbursement. They can be compensated for travel expenses, lodging, and a can be given a small amount of money simply for their time. However, this is meant to be reimbursement for the time and expense incurred in attending a deposition, and it is most definitely not payment for the witness to provide testimony that's advantageous to one side or the other.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute requirement to tell the truth. If you deliberately lie while under oath, you are committing perjury. Perjury is a serious crime, and can be punished by fines and imprisonment.

How Can A Fort Walton Beach, Florida Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have a Fort Walton Beach, Florida 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 a party to the lawsuit, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least contact with a Fort Walton Beach, Florida attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.