Tips for Your Deposition

If you are involved in a personal injury case, you might be deposed during the discovery process. On another page, I discuss the basics of what a deposition is. Understanding the basics will help you prepare if you are ever deposed. If you do get deposed, you might be nervous about this experience. However, with the proper guidance and preparation, you will do just fine! Here are a few things to keep in mind to make sure that your deposition goes well.

The Role of the Lawyer

One important aspect of a deposition are the lawyers involved. If you are deposed, the other party’s lawyer will be the one asking questions at your deposition. This can be intimidating, but it can be combated by hiring your own lawyer. If you have a lawyer on your side, they can attend the deposition with you.

Having your lawyer at the deposition can help in a few ways. First, it can help keep you calm to know that someone is there who is on your side. Second, your lawyer can make sure that you are not taken advantage of during a deposition. There are some questions that you should not be asked, but you might not know this. A lawyer can consider the questions being asked and determine if they are appropriate or not. This will help protect your rights as well as your case.

Finally, a lawyer can be helpful before the deposition in answering your questions. If you are especially nervous about the deposition, your lawyer can go through a “mock deposition” with you to help you feel more comfortable.

Answering Questions

The majority of the deposition will consist of you being asked questions that you need to answer. Here are some tips about answering questions during the deposition:

• Always tell the truth. The fact that there is a court reporter at the deposition means that your deposition will occur under oath. If you lie or exaggerate the truth, you could be guilty of perjury.
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, you can qualify your statement. You can say something like, “I don’t quite remember, but I think that…” so that if evidence comes up later that proves that what you said was inaccurate, you can prove that you didn’t really remember what happened.
• Remember that someone is recording the conversation. Not only should you be honest, but also remember that someone is trying to record everything that you say. For this reason, you should try not to talk over the lawyer asking you questions. If possible, you should also try to give clear, concise answers. Also make sure that all of your answers are verbal – not simply given with a nod of your head. This will make the court reporter’s job easier.
• Give short answers. You don’t have to volunteer extra information, and you shouldn’t do this. Just answer the question that you are asked as clearly and concisely as possible.

If you would like assistance with your deposition, and your case in general, you should consider hiring a lawyer. To speak to one of our lawyers, contact our office today! We are happy to walk you through the deposition process and help you with your case.