Litigation Lawyers in Mecklenburg County

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

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

In Mecklenburg County, 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 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

If the parties believe that a witness in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, poor health, upcoming military deployment, potential incarceration, or any other reason, a deposition is a very good way to get their testimony on the record before the trial. Furthermore, if they have to be questioned for several days, it is a good way to save the court's time.

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

To mitigate this, the law of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina normally 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 beneficial to one side or the other.

In Mecklenburg County, North Carolina depositions, everyone being deposed is under oath. This means that you are legally and morally obligated to answer every question truthfully. If you deliberately misrepresent your knowledge (lie), you are guilty of perjury. And if you're caught, you could end up facing jail time and/or some very steep fines.

How Can A Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Lawyer Help?

If you are directly immersed in a lawsuit in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and have to appear at a deposition, you should already be represented by a lawyer. It goes without saying that you should do whatever they advise you to do during the deposition.

If you're not a party to a lawsuit in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be called to appear in a deposition. In that case, you probably don't need to hire a lawyer.