Litigation Lawyers in Woodfin

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

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

In Woodfin, 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 Woodfin, North Carolina

Depositions are typically conducted in Woodfin, 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.

Civil Depositions in Woodfin, North Carolina, can take a very long time to be completed, typically lasting several days, and occasionally going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Woodfin, North Carolina should be ready for some substantial inconvenience.

To mitigate this, the law of Woodfin, 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 provide testimony that's advantageous to one side or the other.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Woodfin, 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 Woodfin, North Carolina Lawyer Help?

If you are directly engaged in a lawsuit in Woodfin, 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 are not a party to the lawsuit, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least contact with a Woodfin, North Carolina attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.