Litigation Lawyers in Southern Pines

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

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

In Southern Pines, North Carolina, one way to acquire relevant evidence is to ask persons 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 Southern Pines, North Carolina

Depositions are typically conducted in Southern Pines, North Carolina if a person's testimony will take several days, or more, to deliver. By doing this before a trial, the jury can be presented just with the testimony that turns out to be relevant, saving everybody a good deal of time. It is also useful if there is any reason to suspect that the witness will be unable to show up in court.

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

To mitigate this, the law of Southern Pines, North Carolina 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.

In Southern Pines, 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 Southern Pines, North Carolina Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Southern Pines, 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 Southern Pines, North Carolina attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.