Cross-examination in civil law is a very important and even decisive stage in the conduct of legal proceedings. This stage may determine whether there is a need to reject or accept Civil lawsuit or Financial claim שהגשתם או שהוגשה נגדכם. זהו למעשה השלב שבו בעל הדין נאלץ "להתמודד" עם עורך דינו של הצד שכנגד, והוא כמעט ולא יוכל להסתייע בעורך דינו (למעט התנגדויות שעורך הדין רשאי להעלות, לדוגמה, אם הלקוח שנחקר נשאל שאלות שאינן רלוונטיות או מטעות).
The stage of cross-examination is reached after the parties have already submitted primary witness affidavits on their behalf. Affidavit of first witness This is an affidavit in which the litigant details all the details relevant to the claim. It is very important that the affidavit be as accurate as possible, as any factual error in it may help the opposing party refute your claims.
מסיבה זו בדיוק חשוב מאוד שהלקוח הוא זה שיפרט לעורך הדין את כל העובדות ולא יאפשר לעורך הדין "לבנות סיפור" כמיטב הבנתו. אמנם עורך הדין הוא הגורם המקצועי שאמור לנהל את התביעה אך עליכם לזכור שעורך הדין לא מעורב (לרוב) במקרה והוא לא יודע מה אירע לפני שפניתם ושכרתם את שירותיו.
After the lawyer has finished writing your main witness statement and forwarded it to you for review It is your duty. Read the affidavit very carefully and correct any factual errors, if any. If you do not do this, and blindly rely on what is written in the affidavit of primary witness by your lawyer, there is a very high probability that during cross-examination you will have a difficult time dealing with the questions from the opposing party's lawyer.
Cross-examination יכולה להיות תוקפנית ויכולה להיות "עדינה". חשוב להבין שאם "עדינים" אתכם ועורך הדין שחוקר אתכם מתייחס אליכם כאל "חבר" בזמן חקירה נגדית, הדבר נעשה אך ורק כדי שתהיו פחות ערניים לניסיונותיו של עורך הדין לדלות מכם מידע רלוונטי.
Before cross-examination in a civil case, it is a good idea to meet with the lawyer for a refresher session.
Cross-examination actually takes place many months after the submission of the main witness affidavit on behalf of each of the parties. When you arrive at the hearing where you will be questioned, there is a very high probability that you will not even remember what was written in your affidavit. Arriving at the hearing where cross-examination will take place without re-reading your affidavit numerous times is a recipe for certain failure.
Therefore, it is a good idea to meet with the lawyer representing you before taking action. The evidence discussion And go over the affidavit again. It is possible that upon rereading the affidavit with your lawyer, you will discover that something was written incorrectly or inaccurately in the affidavit. It is important to discover these inaccuracies before you arrive for cross-examination because if you have discovered these inaccuracies, it is very possible that the opposing party has also noticed them, so it is very important to be prepared for any attempt to thwart you during cross-examination.
In high-stakes lawsuits, and especially when it involves litigants who have not previously been cross-examined, it is a good idea to ask the lawyer to conduct mock interrogations. A mock interrogation is a situation in which the lawyer interrogates you as if he were representing the opposing party. My recommendation in high-stakes cases is to ask for a mock interrogation in which a lawyer you do not know (perhaps a partner or colleague of the lawyer representing you) will cross-examine you.
In this situation, you will be able to feel in the closest possible way what you are going to go through during cross-examination in court. It is important to understand and practice stressful situations, situations where you suddenly forget elementary things, situations where excitement overcomes you, etc.
During cross-examination, you must take the witness stand with your affidavit.
It is important to understand that the cross-examination phase in civil litigation is not a memory test. You are not expected to memorize the affidavit and it is understandable that you will want to review the affidavit during your questioning.
Therefore, be sure to arrive at the hearing with a copy of the affidavit, but at the same time, be sure to read it carefully and many times before the hearing. Although cross-examination is not a memory test, it is not possible for the litigant to be completely unfamiliar with the affidavit he signed, and for each question he will review his affidavit and read the answer from the affidavit.
You are testifying to whatYou only know from personal experience.
As part of your affidavit, you are supposed to state facts that you know from personal knowledge, and therefore, even during cross-examination, you are not supposed to tell (unless you are explicitly asked) what you believe (testimony of belief is not admissible), what someone else told you (hearsay testimony is not admissible), what your opinion is on a matter of expertise (if you are not an expert on the subject you were asked about, your testimony on a matter of expertise will not be admissible) or tell new facts that were not written in your affidavit (a claim for broadening the front will be raised, and will likely be accepted).
It is important to understand what you are being asked before you answer.
Many interrogated persons have a tendency to answer a question before the lawyer has finished asking it or without thinking about the answer. These are cases where the client is very confident in himself, and the client may have even been very well prepared for the interrogation. This self-confidence can cost the client dearly.
כל נחקר צריך לוודא שהוא עובר עם עצמו את התהליך הבא: על הנחקר לוודא שהוא שמע היטב את השאלה (אם לא שמעתם כיצד אתם יכולים לענות? יכול להיות שאתם עונים על משהו שכלל לא נשאלתם) -> לאחר מכן על הנחקר לוודא שהוא הבין את השאלה (אם לא הבנתם את השאלה או מושג שעלה בשאלה אתם לא יכולים לענות על השאלה) -> לאחר מכן על הנחקר לחשוב על התשובה (אל תמהרו, קחו מספר שניות כדי "לסדר את קו המחשבה" ובמידת הצורך לעיין בתצהיר שלכם) -> לבסוף הנחקר יכול להשיב על השאלה.
If you did not understand the question or did not hear the question, you may ask for the question to be repeated or asked to be asked in a more understandable way.
During cross-examination, it is important to maintain eye contact with the judge and your lawyer.
During cross-examination, there are three important figures: the judge, your lawyer, and the opposing party's lawyer. When the opposing party's lawyer asks you a question, it is of course important to maintain eye contact with him and make sure you have heard the question well.
After the lawyer has finished asking you the question, do not rush to answer because it is important to make sure that you have thought about the answer first and your lawyer may want to object to the question. If the objection is accepted by the judge, there is no need to answer the question (therefore, there is no need to rush to answer it).
After you have heard the question and have made sure that your lawyer has not objected to the question, turn your gaze to the judge himself. It is always important to maintain eye contact with the judge and make sure that the judge hears you well, and it is always a good idea to try and get an impression of the judge's body language. In some cases, you will see the judge shifting uncomfortably in his chair or making hand movements or his facial expression indicating discomfort. This may be a clue that the judge may not be impressed by the answer in a positive way.
Cross-examination is designed to confuse you – be sure to answer rightShort and to the point
מטרתה של חקירה נגדית במשפט אזרחי היא לקבל מהנחקר נתונים או הודאה בטענות של הצד שכנגד. לצורך כך החקירה הנגדית יכולה להתמקד בשאלות "כן/לא" או בשאלות פתוחות ("ספר לי מה קרה בתאריך…."). ככל שהנחקר יאריך בתשובתו קיים סיכוי גבוה יותר שהוא יטעה או שהוא יספק פרט מידע שלא בהכרח יסייע לטענותיו.
ככל שיש לכם אפשרות לענות ב"כן/לא" עדיף לענות כך, אך זה ברור שלא על כל שאלה בעת חקירה נגדית אפשר לענות ב"כן/לא" ולכן חשוב לענות נכון ככל הניתן, קצר ולעניין, על מנת לא לספק לצד שכנגד נתונים נוספים שיכולים לסייע לו.
Proper use of an affidavit or other document during cross-examination
טעות נפוצה של נחקרים היא שהם מאמינים לכל מה שנאמר להם בעת חקירה נגדית. לדוגמה; עורך הדין שחוקר אתכם יכול להגיד לכם שבדוא"ל ששלחתם בתאריך כזה וכזה כתבתם שאתם מודים בעובדה מסוימת. נחקרים רבים בזמן החקירה הנגדית כלל לא טורחים לבקש מעורך הדין שיראה להם את אותו מסמך. לדרישה זו ישנה חשיבות רבה משום שייתכן שעורך הדין מטעה את הנחקר ואפילו את בית המשפט. יתכן שדוא"ל כזה לא קיים ולכן חשוב לדרוש ולעיין במסמך שהזכירו בפניכם.
This is also true with regard to your affidavit. The lawyer may tell you that in such and such a section you wrote that you admit to the opposing party's claims. It is always important to ask the lawyer who is questioning you (and you are allowed to do so) which section he is referring to, and after the lawyer tells you which section it is, it is important to read that section, and at least the previous section and the next section, to understand the context of the matter.
Only after you have read the document or sections you were referred to during cross-examination will you be better prepared to answer the question.
There's a difference between not remembering and not wanting to answer.
As I have already written, cross-examination is not a memory test. It is obvious that there are issues (usually not the main point of dispute between the parties) that the interrogated person does not remember. If you are asked a question for which you do not remember the relevant factual information, it is okay, in most cases, to answer "I do not remember."
כמובן שאם תגידו "אני לא זוכר" על כל השאלות או על שאלה שמתייחסת לעיקר המחלוקת הדבר יראה מוזר ולא אמין.
Another issue that needs to be taken into account during cross-examination is the witness's evasion of answering a question. For example, the witness is asked about a specific transaction and answers about a completely different transaction. An interrogated person's evasion of answering a clear question may indicate weakness in his claims, that he is an unreliable witness, and will generally harm him.
Do not change a factual version during cross-examination.
The worst thing that can happen during cross-examination is that you start changing versions. In one question you answer X and in another question, on the exact same matter, you answer Y, and in your affidavit on the exact same matter it says Z.
Be very consistent in your answers, so that they match what is written in your affidavit. If there is a mistake in your affidavit, you can At the beginning of the discussion Say that before the hearing you discovered an error in the affidavit and that you wish to correct the information to the correct information.
It is important to remember that during cross-examination you must answer questions.
During cross-examination, the person being questioned is responsible for answering the questions posed to him by the opposing party's lawyer. The person being questioned is not supposed to argue or reason, but rather to answer the questions to the best of his ability and knowledge. If the lawyer representing you believes the questions are irrelevant, he will object on your behalf.
If the interrogated person becomes agitated, becomes clever, and does not cooperate, this will ultimately be taken into account when making the decision, and this may certainly harm the interrogated person's chances of succeeding in the lawsuit.
The body language of the interrogated person during cross-examination
שפת הגוף של הנחקר בעת חקירה נגדית איננה עניין שנלקח בהכרח בחשבון על ידי השופט, אך הדבר עשוי לסייע לעורך הדין שחוקר אתכם להבין האם הוא "בכיוון הנכון". חשוב להשתדל לענות על השאלות בצורה רגועה, בלי תנועות ידיים מיותרות, מבלי להסיט את מבטכם כל הזמן לכיוון עורך הדין שלכם (הדבר עשוי להעיד שאתם מחפשים את התשובה אצל עורך הדין ולא יודעים מה לענות).
יש נחקרים שמתחילים לרעוד או להזיע בצורה בולטת כשהם לא בטוחים בתשובות שלהם. כל אלה עשויים להיות בגדר רמז לחוקר שהוא "בכיוון הנכון".
What should I wear to cross-examination?
There is no definitive answer because it depends on the case. For example, in a case where you want to prove that a person has no money, it is not advisable for that person to come to his cross-examination wearing a luxurious suit.
On the other hand, it is clear that the interrogated person should not come to cross-examination wearing flip-flops and shorts.
בדרך כלל מכנסיים ארוכים, חולצה מכופתרת "רגילה", ונעליים סגורות, יתאימו למרבית המקרים.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Cross-Examination in Civil Law
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What is the difference between a cross-examination and a primary investigation?
Cross-examination is conducted by the opposing party's attorney. Primary investigation Performed by a lawyer representing you.
If the evidentiary hearing begins with cross-examination, it is a sign that a primary witness affidavit was submitted on behalf of the opposing party as part of this procedure. If the procedure begins with primary examination, it is a sign that no primary witness affidavits were submitted (usually, in non-complex cases, judges tend to waive the submission of primary witness affidavits and allow primary examination to be conducted).
Primary questioning is carried out using open-ended questions. Cross-examination can also be carried out using closed-ended questions.
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How long can a cross-examination continue?
The length of the investigation depends greatly on the complexity of the case. There are cases where the investigation will last hours and there are cases where the investigation will last no more than half an hour (and sometimes even less).
Ultimately, it all depends on the patience of the judge hearing the case, and the instructions he gave before the evidentiary hearing. -
I forgot to question a witness on a particular issue. Can I complete cross-examination?
Completion of an interrogation will be granted in very extreme and exceptional cases. You must come prepared for the evidentiary hearing, prepare all the desired questions in advance, and actually ask them during the hearing. Do not count on being allowed to interrogate him up to twice (certainly not if you forgot to ask questions you wanted).
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What can be objected to during cross-examination?
It is very useful to be aware of claims such as Front extension, Hearsay, circumstantial evidence, Expert testimonyThese claims can be mentioned when the witness begins to tell a new/different version that was not previously claimed, when the witness relies on information he received from other people, when the witness makes assumptions, when a witness who is not an expert in a specific field begins to testify about things that require expertise.
