Litigation Lawyers in St. Albans

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

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

One way to obtain this information in St. Albans, West Virginia is to conduct a deposition. A deposition, at its core, is a fairly simple process. A deposition is a question and answer session conducted outside the courtroom. Usually, it takes place in the office space of an attorney representing one of the parties. There are a few people who are almost always present at the deposition: there's the person being deposed, the lawyer who is going to be asking the questions, a lawyer representing the other side of the lawsuit, who can object to any questions being asked (a judge can rule on the objections later), and a court reporter or video recorder, to ensure that the testimony ends up on the record.

Conducting A Civil Deposition in St. Albans, West Virginia

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

To help deal with this fact, St. Albans, 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 favorable to one side, and omitting information that's unfavorable. This would be bribery, and it is highly illegal.

In St. Albans, 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 St. Albans, West Virginia Lawyer Help?

If you are the plaintiff or defendant in a lawsuit, you almost definitely already have a St. Albans, West Virginia lawyer. If either party to the lawsuit calls you for a deposition, your lawyer will have plenty of advice for you. You should, of course, follow that advice to the letter.

If you're not a party to a lawsuit in St. Albans, West Virginia, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be contacted to appear in a deposition. In that case, you likely don't need to hire a lawyer.