Litigation Lawyers in Haltom City

Depositions are part of the discovery process in Haltom City, Texas civil litigation.

The discovery process in Haltom City, Texas is one of the most important parts of the civil litigation process. During the discovery phase, each side of the lawsuit is required to make all of the relevant information it has in its possession available to the other side.

In Haltom City, Texas, one way to obtain relevant evidence is to ask people 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 Haltom City, Texas

In Haltom City, 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. Also, 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 poor health, or any other reason.

Civil Depositions in Haltom City, Texas, can take a very long time to be completed, usually lasting several days, and sometimes going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Haltom City, Texas should be prepared for some significant inconvenience.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Haltom City, Texas allows 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.

When giving a deposition in Haltom City, Texas, 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 Haltom City, Texas Lawyer Help?

If you are a party to a lawsuit, and are called 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 involved in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in Haltom City, Texas. 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.