Litigation Lawyers in Galveston County

Depositions are part of the discovery procedure in Galveston County, Texas civil litigation.

The discovery procedure in Galveston County, Texas is one of the most significant parts of the civil litigation process. During the discovery phase, each side of the lawsuit is obligated to make all of the relevant information it has in its possession available to the other side.

In Galveston County, Texas, 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 Galveston County, Texas

In Galveston County, Texas, the main reason to conduct a deposition, as opposed to having someone testify in court, is to save time. After days of depositions, the jury can be presented with just the relevant testimony, if the case goes to trial. Furthermore, it's a good idea to conduct a deposition if there's any reason to believe that the witness will not be able to show up to court to testify, due to bad health, or any other reason.

Galveston County, Texas civil depositions can go on for a long time - sometimes going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to provide your testimony in a Galveston County, Texas civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

Thus, Galveston County, Texas'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 occasionally 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 linked with testifying.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Galveston County, Texas, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute requirement to tell the truth. If you deliberately lie while under oath, you are committing perjury. Perjury is a serious crime, and can be punished by fines and imprisonment.

How Can A Galveston County, Texas Lawyer Help?

If you are a party to a lawsuit, and are subpoenaed to a deposition, chances are you're already represented by a , Texas attorney. Obviously, you should follow their advice with respect to 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 Galveston County, Texas. You likely 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.