Litigation Lawyers in Arlington County

Civil depositions happen during Arlington County, Virginia civil litigation, as part of the discovery procedure.

In Arlington County, Virginia, "discovery" is a procedure that happens before a civil trial, during which both sides are obligated to disclose relevant evidence to the other.

One way to acquire this information in Arlington County, Virginia 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 Arlington County, Virginia

Depositions in Arlington County, Virginia serve a very significant purpose: receiving testimony on the record, and admitted as evidence, when there is some reason to suspect that the witness won't be able to appear in court during trial, because of health, possible incarceration, or any other reason.

So, it shouldn't be astonishing that civil depositions in Arlington County, Virginia can generally go on for several days. If you are subpoenaed for a deposition in , Virginia, you are typically obligated to appear. This can be a source of some inconvenience.

Thus, Arlington County, Virginia's civil procedure rules permit 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 Arlington County, Virginia, 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 Arlington County, Virginia Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have an Arlington County, Virginia 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 are not directly engaged in the lawsuit, you might still have to appear at a deposition, if you have information that's relevant to the case in Arlington County, Virginia. 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.