Litigation Lawyers in Falls Church

Civil depositions occur during Falls Church, Virginia civil litigation, as part of the discovery process.

In Falls Church, Virginia, "discovery" is a process that occurs before a civil trial, during which both sides are required to disclose relevant evidence to the other.

One way to obtain this information in Falls Church, 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 Falls Church, Virginia

If the parties believe that a witness in Falls Church, Virginia won't be able to show up in court to testify during trial, because of age, poor health, upcoming military deployment, potential incarceration, or any other reason, a deposition is a very good way to get their testimony on the record before the trial. Also, if they have to be questioned for several days, it is a good way to save the court's time.

Falls Church, Virginia civil depositions can go on for a long time - occasionally going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to give your testimony in a Falls Church, Virginia civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To mitigate this, the law of Falls Church, Virginia usually entitles people being deposed to reimbursement. They can be compensated for travel expenses, lodging, and a can be given a small amount of money simply for their time. However, this is meant to be reimbursement for the time and expense incurred in attending a deposition, and it is most definitely not payment for the witness to give testimony that's favorable to one side or the other.

In Falls Church, Virginia 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 very steep fines.

How Can A Falls Church, Virginia Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost certainly already have a Falls Church, 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're not a party to a lawsuit in Falls Church, Virginia, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be called to appear in a deposition. In that case, you probably don't need to hire a lawyer.