Litigation Lawyers in Beatrice

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in Beatrice, Nebraska. They are part of the discovery process.

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

One way to acquire this information in Beatrice, Nebraska 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. Typically, 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 Beatrice, Nebraska

Depositions in Beatrice, Nebraska 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.

Civil Depositions in Beatrice, Nebraska can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are required to appear for a deposition in Beatrice, Nebraska, it can prove to be a substantial inconvenience.

To help deal with this fact, Beatrice, Nebraska allows witnesses who are being deposed to be compensated for their time. They can be reimbursed for lodging, travel expenses, and given a small amount of money for their time. Remember, however, that this money is most definitely NOT conditioned on the witness giving testimony that's advantageous to one side, and omitting information that's unfavorable. This would be bribery, and it is highly illegal.

If you are called to a deposition in Beatrice, Nebraska, it's absolutely imperative that you answer all the questions truthfully, to the best of your knowledge. When testifying in a deposition, you are under oath, just as you would be in open court. Deliberately lying in a deposition is perjury, which is a serious crime.

How Can A Beatrice, Nebraska Lawyer Help?

If you're a party to a Beatrice, Nebraska 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're not a party to a lawsuit in Beatrice, Nebraska, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be called to appear in a deposition. In that case, you probably don't need to hire a lawyer.