Litigation Lawyers in Richfield

Depositions are part of the discovery procedure in Richfield, Utah civil litigation.

The discovery procedure in Richfield, Utah 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 Richfield, Utah, one way to receive 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 normally 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 particular lines of questioning, if they wish.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Richfield, Utah

If the parties believe that a witness in Richfield, Utah 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.

It should not be any shock, then, that civil depositions in Richfield, Utah can go on for a very long time. If you are contacted to appear in a deposition in Richfield, Utah, this can be a massive headache.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Richfield, Utah 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.

In Richfield, Utah depositions, everyone being deposed is under oath. This means that you are legally and morally obligated to answer every question truthfully. If you deliberately misrepresent your knowledge (lie), you are guilty of perjury. And if you're caught, you could end up facing jail time and/or some extremely steep fines.

How Can A Richfield, Utah Lawyer Help?

If you are directly immersed in a lawsuit in Richfield, Utah, 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 throughout the deposition.

If you are not a party to the lawsuit, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least contact with a Richfield, Utah attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.