Litigation Lawyers in Bluefield

Civil depositions happen during Bluefield, West Virginia civil litigation, as part of the discovery procedure.

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

In Bluefield, West Virginia, 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 Bluefield, West Virginia

Depositions in Bluefield, West Virginia 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 Bluefield, West Virginia can sometimes go on for days, and occasionally even weeks. If you are obligated to appear for a deposition in Bluefield, West Virginia, it can prove to be a substantial inconvenience.

Because of this fact, the law in Bluefield, West Virginia permits 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 specific way ceases to be compensation, and becomes bribery, which is a crime.

In Bluefield, West Virginia 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 extremely steep fines.

How Can A Bluefield, West Virginia Lawyer Help?

If you are the defendant or plaintiff in a lawsuit, chances are good that you'll have to appear in a deposition. You should, by this time, already be represented by a Bluefield, West Virginia civil litigation attorney. You should do whatever they tell you to do (unless, of course, they tell you to lie, in that case you should find a new lawyer).

If you are not a party to the lawsuit, but are subpoenaed to testify in a deposition, you should at least contact with a Bluefield, West Virginia attorney, who can advise you on how to proceed.