Litigation Lawyers in St. Joseph

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in St. Joseph, Missouri. They are part of the discovery process.

In St. Joseph, Missouri, "discovery" is a process that occurs before a civil trial, during which both sides are required to disclose relevant evidence to the other.

One way to obtain this information in St. Joseph, 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 St. Joseph, Missouri

Depositions are usually conducted in St. Joseph, 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 everybody 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.

Civil Depositions in St. Joseph, Missouri, can take a very long time to be completed, usually lasting several days, and sometimes going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in St. Joseph, Missouri should be prepared for some significant inconvenience.

To help deal with this fact, St. Joseph, Missouri allows witnesses who are being deposed to be compensated for their time. They can be reimbursed for lodging, travel expenses, and given a small amount of money for their time. Remember, however, that this money is most definitely NOT conditioned on the witness giving testimony that's favorable to one side, and omitting information that's unfavorable. This would be bribery, and it is highly illegal.

Remember, when you give a deposition in St. Joseph, Missouri, 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 St. Joseph, Missouri Lawyer Help?

If you're a party to a St. Joseph, Missouri lawsuit and are required to appear at a deposition, one would hope that you've already retained a lawyer by this stage in the proceedings. Your attorney will have a lot of advice for you, which you should of course follow.

If you are not a party to the case, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least consult with a St. Joseph, Missouri attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.