Litigation Lawyers in Falcon Heights

A civil deposition in Falcon Heights, Minnesota occurs in many civil litigation cases, as part of the discovery process.

The discovery process in Falcon Heights, Minnesota 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 Falcon Heights, Minnesota, 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 typically 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 specific lines of questioning, if they wish.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Falcon Heights, Minnesota

In Falcon Heights, Minnesota, 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.

Civil Depositions in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, 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 Falcon Heights, Minnesota should be prepared for some substantial inconvenience.

To mitigate this, the law of Falcon Heights, Minnesota typically 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 advantageous to one side or the other.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute obligation to tell the truth. If you deliberately lie while under oath, you are committing perjury. Perjury is a serious crime, and can be punished by fines and imprisonment.

How Can A Falcon Heights, Minnesota Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Falcon Heights, Minnesota 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 Falcon Heights, Minnesota. 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.