Litigation Lawyers in Monroe

Civil depositions happen during civil litigation in Monroe, North Carolina. They are part of the discovery procedure.

"Discovery" is a procedure that happens before a trial in Monroe, North Carolina. During the discovery process, both sides are obligated to make relevant information available to each other.

In Monroe, North Carolina, one way to obtain relevant evidence is to ask people 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 Monroe, North Carolina

If the parties believe that a witness in Monroe, North Carolina won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, bad health, upcoming military deployment, possible incarceration, or any other reason, a deposition is a very good way to get their testimony on the record before the trial. Also, 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 shock, then, that civil depositions in Monroe, North Carolina can go on for a very long time. If you are contacted to appear in a deposition in Monroe, North Carolina, this can be a major headache.

Because of this fact, the law in Monroe, North Carolina permits witnesses who are appearing for depositions to be compensated for the expense associated with it. This includes reimbursement for gas, lodging, and food. They can also be paid a certain amount of money for every hour they testify, to compensate them for their time. However, this money can only be conditioned on the witness showing up and giving truthful testimony. Trying to condition it on the witness testifying in a certain way ceases to be compensation, and becomes bribery, which is a crime.

In Monroe, 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 extremely steep fines.

How Can A Monroe, North Carolina Lawyer Help?

If you are directly involved in a lawsuit in Monroe, 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 throughout the deposition.

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