Litigation Lawyers in North Royalton

Civil depositions occur during civil litigation in North Royalton, Ohio. They are part of the discovery process.

The discovery process in North Royalton, Ohio is one of the most important parts of the civil litigation process. During the discovery phase, each side of the lawsuit is required to make all of the relevant information it has in its possession available to the other side.

One way to get this information in North Royalton, 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 North Royalton, Ohio

Depositions in North Royalton, Ohio 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.

So, it shouldn't be surprising that civil depositions in North Royalton, Ohio can often go on for several days. If you are subpoenaed for a deposition in , Ohio, you are typically obligated to appear. This can be a source of some inconvenience.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, North Royalton, 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 serious problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

If you are being deposed in North Royalton, Ohio 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 North Royalton, Ohio Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a North Royalton, Ohio 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 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 North Royalton, Ohio. 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.