Litigation Lawyers in Valdese
Civil depositions happen during civil litigation in Valdese, North Carolina. They are part of the discovery procedure.
"Discovery" is a procedure that happens before a trial in Valdese, North Carolina. During the discovery process, both sides are obligated to make relevant information available to each other.
In Valdese, 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 Valdese, North Carolina
Depositions are usually conducted in Valdese, 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 everyone 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.
Valdese, North Carolina civil depositions can go on for a long time - sometimes going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to provide your testimony in a Valdese, North Carolina civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.
To mitigate this, the law of Valdese, North Carolina usually 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 provide testimony that's favorable to one side or the other.
Remember, when you give a deposition in Valdese, North Carolina, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute requirement 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 Valdese, North Carolina Lawyer Help?
If you're a party to a Valdese, North Carolina lawsuit and are obligated to appear at a deposition, one would hope that you've already retained a lawyer by this stage in the proceedings. Your attorney will have a lot of advice for you, which you should of course follow.
If, on the other hand, you're not directly involved in the case, but have been subpoenaed to appear in a deposition as a witness in Valdese, North Carolina, you may not need to hire a lawyer. The lawyers for both sides will probably prep you for the deposition, giving you an idea of what to expect.