Litigation Lawyers in De Soto

A civil deposition in De Soto, Missouri occurs in many civil litigation cases, as part of the discovery process.

The discovery process in De Soto, Missouri 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 get this information in De Soto, Missouri 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. Normally, 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 De Soto, Missouri

Depositions in De Soto, Missouri serve a very important purpose: getting 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.

Civil Depositions in De Soto, Missouri can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are required to appear for a deposition in De Soto, Missouri, it can prove to be a considerable inconvenience.

To mitigate this, the law of De Soto, Missouri 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 De Soto, Missouri 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 De Soto, Missouri 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 De Soto, Missouri 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 De Soto, Missouri. 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.