Litigation Lawyers in Lake Oswego

Depositions are part of the discovery process in Lake Oswego, Oregon civil litigation.

In Lake Oswego, Oregon, "discovery" is a process that occurs before a civil trial, during which both sides are required to disclose relevant evidence to the other.

In Lake Oswego, Oregon, one way to acquire this information is to find the people involved in the dispute (whether they're witnesses or parties), and ask them questions about the issues you believe them to have knowledge of. A civil deposition is normally a pretty simple process: the person being deposed is sworn in (they are under oath, just as if they were in a courtroom). Because the whole point of a deposition is to get testimony on the record, a stenographer or video technician will also be present, recording the whole deposition. The lawyer then asks questions of the witness, and the lawyers for the other side are able to object to particular lines of questioning, if they wish.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Depositions are normally conducted in Lake Oswego, Oregon 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.

So, it shouldn't be shocking that civil depositions in Lake Oswego, Oregon can usually go on for several days. If you are subpoenaed for a deposition in , Oregon, you are normally obligated to appear. This can be a source of some inconvenience.

Therefore, Lake Oswego, Oregon's civil procedure rules authorize a person to be compensated for the time and money they spend in appearing at a deposition. If the witness lives far away from the location of the deposition, as is sometimes the case in large trials, they can be reimbursed for travel and lodging expenses, and compensated for their time. However, this money cannot be used to influence HOW they testify, just to mitigate the inconvenience associated with testifying.

When giving a deposition in Lake Oswego, Oregon, 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. Therefore, if you lie, you are committing perjury, which can land you in jail.

How Can A Lake Oswego, Oregon Lawyer Help?

If you are the defendant or plaintiff in a lawsuit, chances are good that you'll have to appear in a deposition. You should, by this point, already be represented by a Lake Oswego, Oregon civil litigation attorney. You should do whatever they tell you to do (unless, of course, they tell you to lie, in which case you should find a new lawyer).

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 Lake Oswego, Oregon 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.