Litigation Lawyers in Hinds County

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in Hinds County, Mississippi. They are part of the discovery process.

In Hinds County, Mississippi, "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 get this information in Hinds County, Mississippi 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. Typically, 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 Hinds County, Mississippi

Depositions in Hinds County, Mississippi 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.

It should not be any surprise, then, that civil depositions in Hinds County, Mississippi can go on for a very long time. If you are called to appear in a deposition in Hinds County, Mississippi, this can be a huge headache.

To mitigate this, the law of Hinds County, Mississippi typically 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 advantageous to one side or the other.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Hinds County, Mississippi, 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 Hinds County, Mississippi Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Hinds County, Mississippi 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're not a party to the case, but have relevant information, you might be subpoenaed to appear in a deposition. In this case, you probably don't need to hire a Hinds County, Mississippi litigation attorney, but it would not be a bad idea to seek out a brief consultation with one, to get an idea of what to expect.