Litigation Lawyers in Tewksbury

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

Discovery, in Tewksbury, Massachusetts is a very important 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 Tewksbury, Massachusetts, one way to get relevant evidence is to ask individuals 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 Tewksbury, Massachusetts

Depositions are normally conducted in Tewksbury, Massachusetts 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 everybody 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.

Tewksbury, 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 Tewksbury, Massachusetts civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To mitigate this, the law of Tewksbury, Massachusetts normally 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 give testimony that's beneficial to one side or the other.

If you are being deposed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts 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 Tewksbury, Massachusetts Lawyer Help?

If you are the defendant or plaintiff in a lawsuit, chances are good that you'll have to appear in a deposition. You should, by this point, already be represented by a Tewksbury, Massachusetts civil litigation attorney. You should do whatever they tell you to do (unless, of course, they tell you to lie, in which case you should find a new lawyer).

If you are not directly immersed in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in Tewksbury, 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.