Litigation Lawyers in Wahpeton

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

"Discovery" is a process that occurs before a trial in Wahpeton, 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 Wahpeton, 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 Wahpeton, North Dakota

Depositions in Wahpeton, North Dakota serve a very important purpose: acquiring testimony on the record, and admitted as evidence, when there is some reason to suspect that the witness won't be able to appear in court during trial, because of health, potential incarceration, or any other reason.

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

To mitigate this, the law of Wahpeton, North Dakota normally 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 beneficial to one side or the other.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Wahpeton, 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 Wahpeton, North Dakota Lawyer Help?

If you're a party to a Wahpeton, North Dakota lawsuit and are required 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 you are not a party to the case, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least consult with a Wahpeton, North Dakota attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.