Litigation Lawyers in La Plata

A civil deposition in La Plata, Maryland occurs in many civil litigation cases, as part of the discovery process.

Discovery, in La Plata, Maryland 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 La Plata, Maryland, one way to acquire this information is to find the people involved in the dispute (whether they're witnesses or parties), and ask them questions about the issues you believe them to have knowledge of. A civil deposition is usually a pretty simple process: the person being deposed is sworn in (they are under oath, just as if they were in a courtroom). Because the whole point of a deposition is to get testimony on the record, a stenographer or video technician will also be present, recording the whole deposition. The lawyer then asks questions of the witness, and the lawyers for the other side are able to object to certain lines of questioning, if they wish.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in La Plata, Maryland

Depositions in La Plata, Maryland 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 La Plata, Maryland can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are required to appear for a deposition in La Plata, Maryland, it can prove to be a significant inconvenience.

Therefore, La Plata, Maryland's civil procedure rules allow a person to be compensated for the time and money they spend in appearing at a deposition. If the witness lives far away from the location of the deposition, as is sometimes the case in large trials, they can be reimbursed for travel and lodging expenses, and compensated for their time. However, this money cannot be used to influence HOW they testify, just to mitigate the inconvenience associated with testifying.

If you are being deposed in La Plata, Maryland 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 La Plata, Maryland Lawyer Help?

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