Litigation Lawyers in Franklin Park

Depositions are part of the discovery process in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania civil litigation.

"Discovery" is a process that occurs before a trial in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania. During the discovery process, both sides are required to make relevant information available to each other.

In Franklin Park, Pennsylvania, one way to acquire relevant evidence is to ask persons involved in the dispute (both parties and witnesses) about their knowledge of the matter. This is done through a civil deposition. It is essentially a question and answer session between a lawyer, and a witness or party to the action. A lawyer for the other side is present, as well as a court reporter or videographer. The lawyer asks questions of the person being deposed, who must answer them under oath.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania

Depositions in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania 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.

It should not be any surprise, then, that civil depositions in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania can go on for a very long time. If you are called to appear in a deposition in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania, this can be a huge headache.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Franklin Park, Pennsylvania 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.

In Franklin Park, Pennsylvania 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 very steep fines.

How Can A Franklin Park, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Franklin Park, Pennsylvania 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 a party to the case, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least consult with a Franklin Park, Pennsylvania attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.