Litigation Lawyers in Somersworth

Civil depositions happen during civil litigation in Somersworth, New Hampshire. They are part of the discovery procedure.

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

One of the most effective ways to obtain information relevant to a lawsuit in Somersworth, New Hampshire 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 individual 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 mainly 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 Somersworth, New Hampshire

If the parties believe that a witness in Somersworth, New Hampshire won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, bad health, upcoming military deployment, possible incarceration, or any other reason, a deposition is a very good way to get their testimony on the record before the trial. Also, if they have to be questioned for several days, it is a good way to save the court's time.

So, it shouldn't be startling that civil depositions in Somersworth, New Hampshire can typically go on for several days. If you are subpoenaed for a deposition in , New Hampshire, you are usually obligated to appear. This can be a source of some inconvenience.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Somersworth, New Hampshire allows witnesses who are appearing in depositions to be paid a set amount of money for their time, and reimbursed for travel expenses. However, if there is any evidence that this money is being used to influence a witness' testimony, there is going to be a significant problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

When giving a deposition in Somersworth, New Hampshire, 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 starts, and you will be under oath, just as if you were in open court. So, if you lie, you are committing perjury, which can land you in jail.

How Can A Somersworth, New Hampshire Lawyer Help?

If you are directly involved in a lawsuit in Somersworth, New Hampshire, 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 Somersworth, New Hampshire attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.