Litigation Lawyers in Kane

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

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

In Kane, 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 Kane, Pennsylvania

If the parties believe that a witness in Kane, Pennsylvania won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, poor health, upcoming military deployment, potential incarceration, or any other reason, a deposition is a very good way to get their testimony on the record before the trial. Furthermore, if they have to be questioned for several days, it is a good way to save the court's time.

Kane, Pennsylvania civil depositions can go on for a long time - occasionally going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to give your testimony in a Kane, Pennsylvania civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Kane, Pennsylvania authorizes 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 called to a deposition in Kane, Pennsylvania, it's absolutely necessary that you answer all the questions truthfully, to the best of your knowledge. When testifying in a deposition, you are under oath, just as you would be in open court. Deliberately lying in a deposition is perjury, which is a serious crime.

How Can A Kane, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?

If you are directly immersed in a lawsuit in Kane, 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 are not directly immersed in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in Kane, Pennsylvania. 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.