Litigation Lawyers in Prairie Du Chien

Civil depositions occur during Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin civil litigation, as part of the discovery process.

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

In Prairie Du Chien, 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 Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin

Depositions are normally conducted in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin if a person's testimony will take several days, or more, to deliver. By doing this before a trial, the jury can be presented just with the testimony that turns out to be relevant, saving everybody a good deal of time. It is also useful if there is any reason to suspect that the witness will be unable to show up in court.

Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin 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 Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.

To help deal with this fact, Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin allows witnesses who are being deposed to be compensated for their time. They can be reimbursed for lodging, travel expenses, and given a small amount of money for their time. Remember, however, that this money is most definitely NOT conditioned on the witness giving testimony that's beneficial to one side, and omitting information that's unfavorable. This would be bribery, and it is highly illegal.

In Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin 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 Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin Lawyer Help?

If you are a party to a lawsuit, and are called to a deposition, chances are you're already represented by a , Wisconsin attorney. Obviously, you should follow their advice with respect to the deposition.

If you're not a party to the case, but have relevant information, you might be subpoenaed to appear in a deposition. In this case, you probably don't need to hire a Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin litigation attorney, but it would not be a bad idea to seek out a brief consultation with one, to get an idea of what to expect.