Litigation Lawyers in Woodson Terrace

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

In Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, Missouri

In Woodson Terrace, 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. Furthermore, 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.

Woodson Terrace, 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 Woodson Terrace, Missouri civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

Thus, Woodson Terrace, Missouri's civil procedure rules authorize 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.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Woodson Terrace, Missouri, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute requirement 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 Woodson Terrace, Missouri Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have a Woodson Terrace, 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 a party to the lawsuit, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least contact with a Woodson Terrace, Missouri attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.