Litigation Lawyers in Webb City

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

In Webb City, 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 receive this information in Webb City, 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. 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 Webb City, Missouri

In Webb City, Missouri, 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. Also, 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 bad health, or any other reason.

Webb City, Missouri civil depositions can go on for a long time - sometimes going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to provide your testimony in a Webb City, Missouri civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To mitigate this, the law of Webb City, Missouri usually 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 provide testimony that's favorable to one side or the other.

If you are being deposed in Webb City, 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 Webb City, 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 time, already be represented by a Webb City, Missouri civil litigation attorney. You should do whatever they tell you to do (unless, of course, they tell you to lie, in that case you should find a new lawyer).

If you are not a party to the lawsuit, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least contact with a Webb City, Missouri attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.