Litigation Lawyers in Dane County

Civil depositions occur during Dane County, Wisconsin civil litigation, as part of the discovery process.

"Discovery" is a process that occurs before a trial in Dane County, Wisconsin. During the discovery process, both sides are required to make relevant information available to each other.

In Dane County, Wisconsin, one way to acquire relevant evidence is to ask persons 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 Dane County, Wisconsin

Depositions in Dane County, Wisconsin serve a very important purpose: getting 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, potential incarceration, or any other reason.

Civil Depositions in Dane County, Wisconsin, can take a very long time to be completed, typically lasting several days, and sometimes going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Dane County, Wisconsin should be prepared for some substantial inconvenience.

To mitigate this, the law of Dane County, Wisconsin typically 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 advantageous to one side or the other.

Remember, when you give a deposition in Dane County, Wisconsin, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute obligation 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 Dane County, Wisconsin Lawyer Help?

If you are directly engaged in a lawsuit in Dane County, Wisconsin, 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 during the deposition.

If, on the other hand, you're not directly engaged in the case, but have been subpoenaed to appear in a deposition as a witness in Dane County, Wisconsin, you may not need to hire a lawyer. The lawyers for both sides will probably prep you for the deposition, giving you an idea of what to expect.