Litigation Lawyers in Williston

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

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

One way to obtain this information in Williston, 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. Usually, 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 Williston, North Dakota

Depositions in Williston, North Dakota serve a very significant purpose: obtaining 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, possible incarceration, or any other reason.

It should not be any shock, then, that civil depositions in Williston, North Dakota can go on for a very long time. If you are contacted to appear in a deposition in Williston, North Dakota, this can be a major headache.

Thus, Williston, North Dakota's civil procedure rules allow 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 occasionally 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 linked with testifying.

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

If you are directly involved in a lawsuit in Williston, 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 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 Williston, North Dakota attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.