Litigation Lawyers in Ocean County

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

Discovery, in Ocean County, New Jersey is a very important step in the civil litigation process. It is when all of the relevant evidence is gathered by both sides, and, generally, each side must disclose that evidence to the other.

In Ocean County, New Jersey, one way to acquire relevant evidence is to ask persons involved in the dispute (both parties and witnesses) about their knowledge of the matter. This is done through a civil deposition. It is essentially a question and answer session between a lawyer, and a witness or party to the action. A lawyer for the other side is present, as well as a court reporter or videographer. The lawyer asks questions of the person being deposed, who must answer them under oath.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Ocean County, New Jersey

Depositions in Ocean County, New Jersey serve a very important purpose: getting 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 Ocean County, New Jersey, 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 Ocean County, New Jersey should be prepared for some substantial inconvenience.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Ocean County, New Jersey permits 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 Ocean County, 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. Thus, if you lie, you are committing perjury, which can land you in jail.

How Can A Ocean County, New Jersey Lawyer Help?

If you are a party to a lawsuit, and are called to a deposition, chances are you're already represented by a , New Jersey attorney. Obviously, you should follow their advice with respect to the deposition.

If you're not a party to the case, but have relevant information, you might be subpoenaed to appear in a deposition. In this case, you probably don't need to hire an Ocean County, New Jersey litigation attorney, but it would not be a bad idea to seek out a brief consultation with one, to get an idea of what to expect.