So What Is A Deposition?

So what is a deposition? Often times clients are required to appear whether it be in person or virtually to give a verbal testimony about what they are alleging or defending in a case that they are involved in. This testimony is taken under oath, with a court reporter present, counsel for all sides and sometimes a videographer. This testimony is needed to preserve a witnesses statement. This means whatever is said during the deposition, is recorded and transcribed for later use or to be entered as an exhibit during trial.

So now that you have the what down, understanding the process that freelance paralegals play when assisting with depositions is the next step. Depositions have to be scheduled based on everyone’s availability. This can be a daunting task but freelance paralegals know how important this. A freelance paralegal will handle coordinating the date in which everyone is available by reaching out to all parties involved, whether it be via telephone or email, to find the date that works best for all parties.

Once a date is determined, we need to obtain a location or method in which the deposition will be conducted. Will it be in person? will it be virtually? This will help the freelance paralegal determine whether they need to confirm if a videographer is needed.

Who Are The Players Involved?

Okay, so we have the players that are involved and now we need to let the court know that this deposition is happening at some point. Most jurisdictions will require that a formal notice be filed with the court. A freelance paralegal will draft that notice, get a approval from attorney that everything is accurate and once approved, they will get if filed with the court. A copy of the notice will be sent to all parties, including the client. The freelance paralegal will then send a copy of the notice of deposition to the court reporter so that they prepared and know to send confirmation to all parties. As you can see, preparing for a deposition involves a lot of steps and a lot of hands.

Keep In Mind

Please keep in mind you might be asked to also schedule a deposition prep meeting with the client once the deposition has been officially schedule. This additional step is handled by the freelance paralegal in the same manner by checking the attorney’s calendar and determining which day and time works best for both the client and the attorney. The freelance paralegal knows how to get the depositions scheduled and see the process all the way through. While each state requires a different notice, should need to pull a template to get an idea on how to start, please check out our template section.

Remember, freelance paralegals are verse in handling complex processes and know how to streamline the process.