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Definition of Discovery

By Sally Kane, About.com

Definition: A formal procedure established by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and corresponding state procedural rules in which parties to a lawsuit exchange information and documents in an effort to "discover" facts relevant to the lawsuit and identify potential witnesses and evidence.

Discovery devices include depositions, interrogatories, requests for admissions, requests for production of documents and requests for inspection.

Also Known As: E-discovery, document discovery, electronic discovery, ediscovery

Examples: Mr. Smith sent discovery requests including interrogatories and requests for production to plaintiff’s counsel.
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