Litigation Lawyers in Bayport

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

Discovery, in Bayport, New York is a very crucial 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 Bayport, New York 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 Bayport, New York

Depositions are typically conducted in Bayport, New York if a person's testimony will take several days, or more, to deliver. By doing this before a trial, the jury can be presented just with the testimony that turns out to be relevant, saving everybody a good deal of time. It is also useful if there is any reason to suspect that the witness will be unable to show up in court.

Bayport, New York 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 a Bayport, New York civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To mitigate this, the law of Bayport, New York typically entitles people being deposed to reimbursement. They can be compensated for travel expenses, lodging, and a can be given a small amount of money simply for their time. However, this is meant to be reimbursement for the time and expense incurred in attending a deposition, and it is most definitely not payment for the witness to give testimony that's advantageous to one side or the other.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Bayport, New York, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute obligation to tell the truth. If you deliberately lie while under oath, you are committing perjury. Perjury is a serious crime, and can be punished by fines and imprisonment.

How Can A Bayport, New York Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Bayport, New York lawyer. If either party to the lawsuit calls you for a deposition, your lawyer will have plenty of advice for you. You should, of course, follow that advice to the letter.

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 a Bayport, New York 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.