Litigation Lawyers in Espanola

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

Discovery, in Espanola, New Mexico 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.

One way to acquire this information in Espanola, New Mexico is to simply sit down with someone involved in the dispute, or with knowledge of some of the issues, and ask them questions. This can be done through a civil deposition, which is basically a Q&A session between a lawyer, and the person being deposed. A lawyer for the other side will also be present. The person being deposed is answering their questions under oath, just as if they were testifying in court. Because of this, it's important to get their statements on the record. For that purpose, a court reporter or videographer will be present.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Espanola, New Mexico

Depositions in Espanola, New Mexico 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.

Espanola, New Mexico civil depositions can go on for a long time - occasionally going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to give your testimony in an Espanola, New Mexico civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Espanola, New Mexico 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.

If you are being deposed in Espanola, New Mexico you absolutely must answer all the questions truthfully and completely, to the best of your knowledge. You are under oath, and if you lie, and are caught, you could be charged with perjury, which can carry jail time.

How Can A Espanola, New Mexico 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 Mexico attorney. Obviously, you should follow their advice with respect to the deposition.

If you are not directly engaged in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in Espanola, New Mexico. You probably don't need to hire a lawyer in that case, but it might be a good idea to at least get a consultation from one.