Litigation Lawyers in Dickinson

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in Dickinson, North Dakota. They are part of the discovery process.

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

One way to acquire this information in Dickinson, North Dakota is to conduct a deposition. A deposition, at its core, is a fairly simple process. A deposition is a question and answer session conducted outside the courtroom. Normally, it takes place in the office space of an attorney representing one of the parties. There are a few people who are almost always present at the deposition: there's the person being deposed, the lawyer who is going to be asking the questions, a lawyer representing the other side of the lawsuit, who can object to any questions being asked (a judge can rule on the objections later), and a court reporter or video recorder, to ensure that the testimony ends up on the record.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Dickinson, North Dakota

Depositions in Dickinson, North Dakota are meant to get verbal testimony on the record and into evidence, when there is concern that the person being deposed might be unable to show up and testify at trial, or their testimony will take far too long for them to testify at trial.

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

Therefore, Dickinson, North Dakota's civil procedure rules authorize a person to be compensated for the time and money they spend in appearing at a deposition. If the witness lives far away from the location of the deposition, as is sometimes the case in large trials, they can be reimbursed for travel and lodging expenses, and compensated for their time. However, this money cannot be used to influence HOW they testify, just to mitigate the inconvenience associated with testifying.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Dickinson, North Dakota, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute obligation 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 Dickinson, North Dakota Lawyer Help?

If you are directly immersed in a lawsuit in Dickinson, North Dakota, 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 are not a party to the case, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least consult with a Dickinson, North Dakota attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.