Litigation Lawyers in Marshall

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

The discovery process in Marshall, Michigan 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.

In Marshall, Michigan, 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 Marshall, Michigan

Depositions in Marshall, Michigan serve a very important purpose: acquiring testimony on the record, and admitted as evidence, when there is some reason to suspect that the witness won't be able to appear in court during trial, because of health, potential incarceration, or any other reason.

It should not be any surprise, then, that civil depositions in Marshall, Michigan can go on for a very long time. If you are called to appear in a deposition in Marshall, Michigan, this can be a massive headache.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Marshall, Michigan authorizes 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 Marshall, Michigan, it's absolutely necessary 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 Marshall, Michigan Lawyer Help?

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