Litigation Lawyers in Scottsbluff

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

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

One of the most effective ways to acquire information relevant to a lawsuit in Scottsbluff, Nebraska is to conduct a deposition of a party who you believe to be privy to that information. A deposition is a Q&A session between an attorney representing one of the parties to a lawsuit, and someone who has knowledge relevant to the lawsuit. This can be one of the parties, or a witness. The person being deposed is sworn in, and must answer all of the questions presented to them under oath. An attorney representing the other side can object to lines of questioning, on every grounds that would be valid during in-court testimony. The purpose of this is primarily to get the objection on the record, but if it proves to be a major sticking point, a judge can rule on the objections later. If any questions are found to be invalid, the questions, and their answers, will not be shown to the jury during trial. This is much more effective than simply instructing the jury to disregard a question and answer they've already heard.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Depositions in Scottsbluff, Nebraska 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.

Civil Depositions in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, can take a very long time to be completed, typically lasting several days, and sometimes going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Scottsbluff, Nebraska should be prepared for some substantial inconvenience.

To help deal with this fact, Scottsbluff, 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.

When giving a deposition in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, be sure to answer all of the questions honestly, and to the absolute best of your knowledge. You will be sworn in before the deposition begins, and you will be under oath, just as if you were in open court. Thus, if you lie, you are committing perjury, which can land you in jail.

How Can A Scottsbluff, Nebraska Lawyer Help?

If you are the defendant or plaintiff in a lawsuit, chances are good that you'll have to appear in a deposition. You should, by this point, already be represented by a Scottsbluff, Nebraska civil litigation attorney. You should do whatever they tell you to do (unless, of course, they tell you to lie, in which case you should find a new lawyer).

If you are not a party to the case, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least consult with a Scottsbluff, Nebraska attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.