Litigation Lawyers in North Oaks

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

The discovery process in North Oaks, 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.

One way to acquire this information in North Oaks, Minnesota is to conduct a deposition. A deposition, at its core, is a fairly simple process. A deposition is a question and answer session conducted outside the courtroom. Usually, it takes place in the office space of an attorney representing one of the parties. There are a few people who are almost always present at the deposition: there's the person being deposed, the lawyer who is going to be asking the questions, a lawyer representing the other side of the lawsuit, who can object to any questions being asked (a judge can rule on the objections later), and a court reporter or video recorder, to ensure that the testimony ends up on the record.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in North Oaks, Minnesota

Depositions in North Oaks, Minnesota 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.

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

Because of this fact, the law in North Oaks, Minnesota allows witnesses who are appearing for depositions to be compensated for the expense associated with it. This includes reimbursement for gas, lodging, and food. They can also be paid a certain amount of money for every hour they testify, to compensate them for their time. However, this money can only be conditioned on the witness showing up and giving truthful testimony. Trying to condition it on the witness testifying in a certain way ceases to be compensation, and becomes bribery, which is a crime.

In North Oaks, Minnesota depositions, everyone being deposed is under oath. This means that you are legally and morally obligated to answer every question truthfully. If you deliberately misrepresent your knowledge (lie), you are guilty of perjury. And if you're caught, you could end up facing jail time and/or some very steep fines.

How Can A North Oaks, Minnesota Lawyer Help?

If you are a party to a lawsuit, and are called to a deposition, chances are you're already represented by a , Minnesota attorney. Obviously, you should follow their advice with respect to the deposition.

If you're not a party to a lawsuit in North Oaks, Minnesota, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be called to appear in a deposition. In that case, you probably don't need to hire a lawyer.