The Wright Muir Law Firm
Your Goals, Our ConcernSM
Call (954) 318-7220
by Attorney Ghenete Wright Muir
Soon after the commencement of a lawsuit the lawyers on each side typically begin to collect evidence regarding the case. This gathering of evidence is known as discovery. For the parties in the lawsuit this discovery process can be quite overwhelming. Often people feel that they are under attack when the discovery process begins. It is important to keep in mind that discovery is just a part of a lawsuit. There are a number of tools of discovery. The primary tools used are interrogatories, depositions and the request for document production.
A lawyer for one of the parties of a lawsuit may conduct a deposition. This is a formal oral examination of a potential witness under oath. A court reporter records the testimony but the testimony may also recorded by other means. The lawyer questions the witness just as a witness would be questioned at trial. The attorney for the other side will object to questions when appropriate, the objections will be noted, however the witness is generally required to answer the question despite the objection. The transcript of the deposition can be used in trial if the witness is not available to come to court or it can be used to keep live testimony consistent with what was testified in the deposition.
Interrogatories is just a fancy way of saying questions. Each party in a case may serve the other side with written questions that must be answered in writing also under oath. When individuals get served interrogatories they often feel tremendously overwhelmed by the many questions that are required to be answered. Responding to interrogatories should not be a source of stress and a lawyer can help with the responses.
An attorney in a case may need to review and copy certain documents or items in the possession of another person. In this case, the lawyer will serve a request to produce documents. This document typically has a laundry list of documents and other items that should be made available for the attorney to examine and copy.
Being a part of a lawsuit can be daunting. However, being aware of the discovery process may lessen the anxiety associated with being involved in the legal process.
For questions or consultation, contact the Wright Muir Law Firm at (954) 318-7220, www.wrightmuir.com or send an email to the attorneys at info@wrightmuir.com
Our office is located at: 440 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy., Suite 100, Sunrise, FL 33325
