Litigation Lawyers in Barnegat

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in Barnegat, New Jersey. They are part of the discovery process.

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

One of the most effective ways to get information relevant to a lawsuit in Barnegat, New Jersey 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 Barnegat, New Jersey

If the parties believe that a witness in Barnegat, New Jersey won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, poor health, upcoming military deployment, potential 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.

It should not be any surprise, then, that civil depositions in Barnegat, New Jersey can go on for a very long time. If you are called to appear in a deposition in Barnegat, New Jersey, this can be a major headache.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Barnegat, New Jersey 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 serious problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

When giving a deposition in Barnegat, New Jersey, 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. So, if you lie, you are committing perjury, which can land you in jail.

How Can A Barnegat, New Jersey Lawyer Help?

If you are directly involved in a lawsuit in Barnegat, New Jersey, 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 during the deposition.

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