Litigation Lawyers in Philadelphia County

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

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

In Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, 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 usually 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 certain lines of questioning, if they wish.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Depositions in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania are meant to get verbal testimony on the record and into evidence, when there is concern that the person being deposed might be unable to show up and testify at trial, or their testimony will take far too long for them to testify at trial.

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

Therefore, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania's civil procedure rules allow 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 Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, 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. So, if you lie, you are committing perjury, which can land you in jail.

How Can A Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Lawyer Help?

If you are directly involved in a lawsuit in Philadelphia County, 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 Philadelphia County, 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.