Litigation Lawyers in Greenville

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

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

In Greenville, Pennsylvania, one way to get relevant evidence is to ask individuals 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 Greenville, Pennsylvania

Depositions in Greenville, 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.

Civil Depositions in Greenville, Pennsylvania can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are required to appear for a deposition in Greenville, Pennsylvania, it can prove to be a considerable inconvenience.

To mitigate this, the law of Greenville, Pennsylvania normally 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 beneficial to one side or the other.

In Greenville, 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 Greenville, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?

If you are directly immersed in a lawsuit in Greenville, Pennsylvania, and have to appear at a deposition, you should already be represented by a lawyer. It goes without saying that you should do whatever they advise you to do during the deposition.

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