Litigation Lawyers in Seagoville

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

The discovery procedure in Seagoville, 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.

One way to get this information in Seagoville, Texas is to simply sit down with someone involved in the dispute, or with knowledge of some of the issues, and ask them questions. This can be done through a civil deposition, which is basically a Q&A session between a lawyer, and the person being deposed. A lawyer for the other side will also be present. The person being deposed is answering their questions under oath, just as if they were testifying in court. Because of this, it's important to get their statements on the record. For that purpose, a court reporter or videographer will be present.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Seagoville, Texas

If the parties believe that a witness in Seagoville, Texas won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, bad health, upcoming military deployment, possible 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.

Seagoville, 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 Seagoville, Texas civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Seagoville, Texas 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 significant problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.

If you are called to a deposition in Seagoville, Texas, 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 Seagoville, Texas Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have a Seagoville, Texas lawyer. If either party to the lawsuit calls you for a deposition, your lawyer will have plenty of advice for you. You should, of course, follow that advice to the letter.

If you're not a party to the case, but have relevant information, you might be subpoenaed to appear in a deposition. In this case, you likely don't need to hire a Seagoville, Texas litigation attorney, but it would not be a bad idea to seek out a brief consultation with one, to get an idea of what to expect.