Litigation Lawyers in Garfield Heights

Civil depositions happen during civil litigation in Garfield Heights, Ohio. They are part of the discovery procedure.

The discovery procedure in Garfield Heights, Ohio is one of the most significant parts of the civil litigation process. During the discovery phase, each side of the lawsuit is obligated to make all of the relevant information it has in its possession available to the other side.

One way to obtain this information in Garfield Heights, Ohio is to conduct a deposition. A deposition, at its core, is a fairly simple process. A deposition is a question and answer session conducted outside the courtroom. Typically, it takes place in the office space of an attorney representing one of the parties. There are a few people who are almost always present at the deposition: there's the person being deposed, the lawyer who is going to be asking the questions, a lawyer representing the other side of the lawsuit, who can object to any questions being asked (a judge can rule on the objections later), and a court reporter or video recorder, to ensure that the testimony ends up on the record.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Garfield Heights, Ohio

Depositions in Garfield Heights, Ohio are meant to get verbal testimony on the record and into evidence, when there is concern that the individual 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.

It should not be any shock, then, that civil depositions in Garfield Heights, Ohio can go on for a very long time. If you are contacted to appear in a deposition in Garfield Heights, Ohio, this can be a huge headache.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Garfield Heights, Ohio 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 significant problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

In Garfield Heights, Ohio depositions, everyone being deposed is under oath. This means that you are legally and morally obligated to answer every question truthfully. If you deliberately misrepresent your knowledge (lie), you are guilty of perjury. And if you're caught, you could end up facing jail time and/or some extremely steep fines.

How Can A Garfield Heights, Ohio Lawyer Help?

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

If you're not a party to a lawsuit in Garfield Heights, Ohio, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be contacted to appear in a deposition. In that case, you likely don't need to hire a lawyer.