Litigation Lawyers in Barre

A civil deposition in Barre, Massachusetts occurs in many civil litigation cases, as part of the discovery process.

Discovery, in Barre, Massachusetts is a very crucial 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.

In Barre, Massachusetts, one way to acquire relevant evidence is to ask persons involved in the dispute (both parties and witnesses) about their knowledge of the matter. This is done through a civil deposition. It is essentially a question and answer session between a lawyer, and a witness or party to the action. A lawyer for the other side is present, as well as a court reporter or videographer. The lawyer asks questions of the person being deposed, who must answer them under oath.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Barre, Massachusetts

In Barre, Massachusetts, the main reason to conduct a deposition, as opposed to having someone testify in court, is to save time. After days of depositions, the jury can be presented with just the relevant testimony, if the case goes to trial. Additionally, it's a good idea to conduct a deposition if there's any reason to believe that the witness will not be able to show up to court to testify, due to poor health, or any other reason.

Barre, Massachusetts civil depositions can go on for a long time - occasionally going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to give your testimony in a Barre, Massachusetts civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Barre, Massachusetts 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 called to a deposition in Barre, Massachusetts, it's absolutely imperative 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 Barre, Massachusetts Lawyer Help?

If you are directly engaged in a lawsuit in Barre, Massachusetts, 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 during the deposition.

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 Barre, Massachusetts. 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.