Litigation Lawyers in Elm Grove

Civil depositions happen during Elm Grove, Wisconsin civil litigation, as part of the discovery procedure.

"Discovery" is a procedure that happens before a trial in Elm Grove, Wisconsin. During the discovery process, both sides are obligated to make relevant information available to each other.

In Elm Grove, Wisconsin, one way to get relevant evidence is to ask individuals 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 Elm Grove, Wisconsin

Depositions in Elm Grove, Wisconsin 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.

Civil Depositions in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, can take a very long time to be completed, normally lasting several days, and occasionally going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Elm Grove, Wisconsin should be ready for some considerable inconvenience.

To help mitigate this inconvenience, Elm Grove, Wisconsin 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 being deposed in Elm Grove, Wisconsin you absolutely must answer all the questions truthfully and completely, to the best of your knowledge. You are under oath, and if you lie, and are caught, you could be prosecuted with perjury, which can carry jail time.

How Can A Elm Grove, Wisconsin Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have an Elm Grove, Wisconsin 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 Elm Grove, Wisconsin, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be contacted to appear in a deposition. In that case, you likely don't need to hire a lawyer.