Litigation Lawyers in Pleasant Hill

Civil depositions happen during civil litigation in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. They are part of the discovery procedure.

In Pleasant Hill, Missouri, "discovery" is a procedure that happens before a civil trial, during which both sides are obligated to disclose relevant evidence to the other.

One way to acquire this information in Pleasant Hill, Missouri is to simply sit down with someone involved in the dispute, or with knowledge of some of the issues, and ask them questions. This can be done through a civil deposition, which is basically a Q&A session between a lawyer, and the person being deposed. A lawyer for the other side will also be present. The person being deposed is answering their questions under oath, just as if they were testifying in court. Because of this, it's important to get their statements on the record. For that purpose, a court reporter or videographer will be present.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Pleasant Hill, Missouri

Depositions are typically conducted in Pleasant Hill, Missouri if a person's testimony will take several days, or more, to deliver. By doing this before a trial, the jury can be presented just with the testimony that turns out to be relevant, saving everyone a good deal of time. It is also useful if there is any reason to suspect that the witness will be unable to show up in court.

So, it shouldn't be startling that civil depositions in Pleasant Hill, Missouri can typically go on for several days. If you are subpoenaed for a deposition in , Missouri, you are typically obligated to appear. This can be a source of some inconvenience.

Thus, Pleasant Hill, Missouri's civil procedure rules permit 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 occasionally 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 linked with testifying.

If you are being deposed in Pleasant Hill, 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 prosecuted with perjury, which can carry jail time.

How Can A Pleasant Hill, Missouri Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have a Pleasant Hill, Missouri 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 Pleasant Hill, Missouri. You likely 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.