Litigation Lawyers in West Salem

Civil depositions happen during West Salem, Wisconsin civil litigation, as part of the discovery procedure.

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

In West Salem, Wisconsin, one way to obtain 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 typically 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 specific lines of questioning, if they wish.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in West Salem, Wisconsin

Depositions in West Salem, Wisconsin are meant to get verbal testimony on the record and into evidence, when there is concern that the individual 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.

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

To help deal with this fact, West Salem, Wisconsin permits 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 advantageous to one side, and omitting information that's unfavorable. This would be bribery, and it is highly illegal.

If you are called to a deposition in West Salem, Wisconsin, it's absolutely imperative that you answer all the questions truthfully, to the best of your knowledge. When testifying in a deposition, you are under oath, just as you would be in open court. Deliberately lying in a deposition is perjury, which is a serious crime.

How Can A West Salem, Wisconsin Lawyer Help?

If you're a party to a West Salem, Wisconsin lawsuit and are obligated to appear at a deposition, one would hope that you've already retained a lawyer by this stage in the proceedings. Your attorney will have a lot of advice for you, which you should of course follow.

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 likely don't need to hire a West Salem, 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.