Litigation Lawyers in Makawao

In Makawao, Hawaii, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery process in civil litigation.

The discovery process in Makawao, Hawaii is one of the most important parts of the civil litigation process. During the discovery phase, each side of the lawsuit is required to make all of the relevant information it has in its possession available to the other side.

One way to acquire this information in Makawao, Hawaii 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 Makawao, Hawaii

Depositions in Makawao, Hawaii 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 Makawao, Hawaii, can take a very long time to be completed, typically lasting several days, and sometimes going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Makawao, Hawaii should be prepared for some substantial inconvenience.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Makawao, Hawaii permits 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 serious problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

If you are being deposed in Makawao, Hawaii 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 Makawao, Hawaii Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Makawao, Hawaii 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 engaged in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in Makawao, Hawaii. 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.