Litigation Lawyers in Sun Prairie

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

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

In Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, one way to acquire this information is to find the people involved in the dispute (whether they're witnesses or parties), and ask them questions about the issues you believe them to have knowledge of. A civil deposition is usually a pretty simple process: the person being deposed is sworn in (they are under oath, just as if they were in a courtroom). Because the whole point of a deposition is to get testimony on the record, a stenographer or video technician will also be present, recording the whole deposition. The lawyer then asks questions of the witness, and the lawyers for the other side are able to object to certain lines of questioning, if they wish.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Depositions in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin are meant to get verbal testimony on the record and into evidence, when there is concern that the person being deposed might be unable to show up and testify at trial, or their testimony will take far too long for them to testify at trial.

It should not be any surprise, then, that civil depositions in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin can go on for a very long time. If you are called to appear in a deposition in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, this can be a major headache.

Because of this fact, the law in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin allows witnesses who are appearing for depositions to be compensated for the expense associated with it. This includes reimbursement for gas, lodging, and food. They can also be paid a certain amount of money for every hour they testify, to compensate them for their time. However, this money can only be conditioned on the witness showing up and giving truthful testimony. Trying to condition it on the witness testifying in a certain way ceases to be compensation, and becomes bribery, which is a crime.

In Sun Prairie, 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 Sun Prairie, 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 a lawsuit in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, 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.