There may be strategic reasons about whether and when to issue written discovery requests or to send notice to the opposing party to appear and testify in a deposition. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses.

Our lawyers have advanced training for written discovery and depositions, including best practices training for depositions from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. We have a complete library about depositions in all manner of civil cases, including helpful DVDs that we share with clients to help them prepare for their depositions.

Evidence for each case should be organized and prepared for disclosure to the other side.

When a party violates discovery rules, the court may impose sanctions to compel compliance or punish the misconduct. Trial courts have broad discretion to impose sanctions on parties or attorneys who violate discovery orders.

If you look up “motion to compel” on the internet, you may read something like this: If the other side has not answered discovery in a civil lawsuit, you can file a motion to compel discovery.

It’s not that simple.

In contested, high conflict cases involving children, sometimes professionals are designated to work with the parents and children.

Lawsuits, including divorces, involve a clash of different perspectives and different sets of goals. Each side is able to obtain information from the other side and from third parties. This is called the discovery process.

A deposition is where lawyers question someone who has been sworn under oath. If you are involved in any kind of civil lawsuit, including a family law case, you may be deposed and your witnesses may be deposed.