Litigation Lawyers in Huntington

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

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

In Huntington, West Virginia, one way to receive 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 Huntington, West Virginia

Depositions are typically conducted in Huntington, West Virginia 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 everyone 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.

So, it shouldn't be astonishing that civil depositions in Huntington, West Virginia can generally go on for several days. If you are subpoenaed for a deposition in , West Virginia, you are typically obligated to appear. This can be a source of some inconvenience.

To help deal with this fact, Huntington, West Virginia 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.

In Huntington, 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 Huntington, 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 Huntington, 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'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 Huntington, West Virginia 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.