What is a deposition in civil litigation?

A deposition in civil litigation is a type of discovery process that is used in court proceedings. During a deposition, a witness for either side of the case can be questioned under oath about topics related to the case. Depositions can be taken in person, or over the phone, and are used to gather evidence and more information about the facts of the case. Both the person being questioned and their lawyer can be present in the deposition. In Pennsylvania, lawyers are allowed a certain amount of time to question someone during a deposition. The lawyer will ask questions related to the case, such as what happened, who was involved, or what was said. Witnesses are legally obligated to answer the questions truthfully, and anything said in the deposition can be used as evidence in a court trial. Depositions are an important part of the civil litigation process, as they allow lawyers to get more detailed information about the case than might be available with just written documents. By gathering first-hand testimony from witnesses, the court is better able to make a decision based on evidence instead of speculation.

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