Litigation Lawyers in Knightdale

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in Knightdale, North Carolina. They are part of the discovery process.

"Discovery" is a process that occurs before a trial in Knightdale, North Carolina. During the discovery process, both sides are required to make relevant information available to each other.

In Knightdale, North Carolina, one way to get relevant evidence is to ask individuals involved in the dispute (both parties and witnesses) about their knowledge of the matter. This is done through a civil deposition. It is essentially a question and answer session between a lawyer, and a witness or party to the action. A lawyer for the other side is present, as well as a court reporter or videographer. The lawyer asks questions of the person being deposed, who must answer them under oath.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Knightdale, North Carolina

Depositions in Knightdale, North Carolina 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.

Civil Depositions in Knightdale, North Carolina, can take a very long time to be completed, normally lasting several days, and sometimes going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Knightdale, North Carolina should be prepared for some considerable inconvenience.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Knightdale, North Carolina authorizes witnesses who are appearing in depositions to be paid a set amount of money for their time, and reimbursed for travel expenses. However, if there is any evidence that this money is being used to influence a witness' testimony, there is going to be a serious problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

If you are being deposed in Knightdale, North Carolina 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 charged with perjury, which can carry jail time.

How Can A Knightdale, North Carolina Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Knightdale, North Carolina 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 case, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least consult with a Knightdale, North Carolina attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.