When a case goes to trial, the information gathering has been completed. Discovery may have been served and answered, depositions may have been taken, research has been done, and fact finding has been completed. But, how do you utilize the best information for trial? Here are three tips to help in information gathering and using information at trial.
1) Tell your attorney the full story
A trial surprise can come if a party has not shared full or accurate information with his/her attorney, and this surprise can often be a negative one. In order to prepare the best information, the attorney needs to know all of the information ahead of time. Speak with your attorney about relevant information. They can let you know what they need more or less information about.
2) Confidence in the Information
In a case, the party has the best information because they lived it. The attorney can be extremely familiar with the information (whos, whats, whens), but the party has the most knowledge. If a detail is fuzzy, you might go back and look in your records, but be confident in the information you know.
3) It never hurts to review
Especially with litigation, the legal process can be stressful. If a party is a witness in a case, it can certainly be intimidating. One way to prepare is to review the information. Go back through chronologically or otherwise and make sure the information is fresh and crisp in your mind. This may help you recall if you get flustered.
We hope that this information has been helpful in general tips for gathering and using information at trial and tips to help with same. It is not intended as legal advice. Ciyou & Dixon, P.C. practices throughout the state of Indiana. This post was written by attorney, Jessica Keyes.
