Giving Testimony – Truth, Bringing Docs, Anger
How to Conduct Yourself Appropriately When Testifying
First of all, individuals who are required to testify at depositions and trials should always tell the truth; you will be under oath, and if it is discovered that you have lied while testifying, you will be subject to perjury charges. Telling the truth certainly won’t hurt your case like a lie will. Your Essex accident attorney will have the ability to explain your circumstances and defend the truth, even in cases where it is not particularly complimentary to your case. However, there is no way for your attorney to explain why a person lied or withheld the truth on the stand. Bear in mind that a person’s purposeful concealment of the truth, even if it concerns a small issue, will be very harmful to your credibility at trial and will definitely hurt your case.
Something else that you should keep in mind as you prepare to testify is that you should not bring any documentation to a deposition, unless it has been pre-approved by your NJ accident attorneys. Any document that you bring will be subject to discovery by the opposing lawyer, meaning whatever materials you bring with you to the deposition might have to be provided to the opposing lawyer. That being the case, do not bring any notes, paperwork, diaries, letters, or any other materials to the deposition without first asking your attorney. And do not, for any reason, take this article with you into the room when you testify.
If you believe that you have documents that you would like to talk about with your NJ accident attorneys, you should take them with you to your pre-deposition meeting. When you arrive there, you will have the chance to discuss the documents and your concerns with your attorney, and he or she can further advise you as to whether or not you should take the document with you into the deposition room.
One more thing that individuals who are required to testify should keep in mind is to never lose your temper or argue with the opposing attorney. The opposing lawyer might attempt to make you mad or get you excited on purpose, with the hopes that you’ll make a mistake or say something that doesn’t match up with your previous testimony. If you find yourself getting mad, ask to take a break; but under no circumstances should you get into a back and forth with the opposing attorney–that is something that your NJ accident attorneys will do for you.
If you need the assistance of NJ accident attorneys, please contact the attorneys at the Clark Law Firm, PC for a free consultation. Just call (877) 841-8855 or fill out the form on this page.
