Litigation Lawyers in Fruitland Park

In Fruitland Park, Florida, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery procedure in civil litigation.

Discovery, in Fruitland Park, 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 obtain this information in Fruitland Park, 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 Fruitland Park, Florida

Depositions are usually conducted in Fruitland Park, 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.

Fruitland Park, 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 Fruitland Park, Florida civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help deal with this fact, Fruitland Park, Florida permits witnesses who are being deposed to be compensated for their time. They can be reimbursed for lodging, travel expenses, and given a small amount of money for their time. Remember, however, that this money is most definitely NOT conditioned on the witness giving testimony that's favorable to one side, and omitting information that's unfavorable. This would be bribery, and it is highly illegal.

If you are called to a deposition in Fruitland Park, Florida, 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 Fruitland Park, Florida Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have a Fruitland Park, 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're not a party to the case, but have relevant information, you might be subpoenaed to appear in a deposition. In this case, you likely don't need to hire a Fruitland Park, Florida 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.