How To Do A Deposition Summary
Depositions hold immense importance in civil litigation and are 1 of the essential tools used in the discovery process, making information technology a must for every lawyer to larn how to summarize a degradation efficiently? It takes into business relationship the precise testimony of the witnesses that can be brought into utilise during trial time. It is quite challenging to summarize the degradation testimonies in an accurate, concise, and crisp way.
Nearly of the decorated law firms seek the help of legal support services for word by discussion transcripts of court depositions, meetings, briefs, interrogations, legal examinations, hearings, and more. Still, the documentation process doesn't get completed here. This is due to the fact that deposition contains more data than required and needs to be summarized so that a concise overview is available for employ during the trial.
What is a Degradation Summary?
A degradation summary is zilch but a condensed, objective, and accurate clerical synopsis of the main points that are included in the deposition transcript. This synopsis is in compliance with the original deposition's lines and pages, making information technology extremely like shooting fish in a barrel to pinpoint the essential details and verify the same with the verbatim transcript equally required.
Deposition summaries hold a lot of importance in the consummate litigation process, including discovery, trial, and motion practice. These summaries back up attorneys in:
- Getting prepared for pretrial motions and ensuing depositions
- Getting prepared for a trial witness exam
- Preparing successive discovery demands and responses, also as interrogatories
- Identifying noteworthy testimony and concerns for trial witness impeachment
Defining the Deposition Summary Objective
As stated above, the objective of a deposition summary is to present a summarized version of the deponent's testimony in an accurate and concise manner to the reviewing party. The deposition summary should cover the main and relevant points of the deposition only, focusing on the following:
- Describing a deposition for the insurance client or adjuster
- Refreshing recollection of the witness earlier the hearing or trial
- Preparing other depositions of the aforementioned case
- Preparing additional discovery
- Profitable attorneys non present at deposition
- Enabling attorneys to better prepare motions and evidence
- Supporting trial training
- Summarizing jurors' testimony at the trial
The Degradation Summary Process
The degradation summary process comprises 3 basic steps:
- Reading: This includes going through the entire transcript and focusing on questions asked by attorneys and witness's responses.
- Annotating: This includes highlighting the cardinal points that demand to be included in the summary.
- Summarizing: This includes organizing the key points in the format of a nautical chart, including columns like "Testimony," "Topic," and "Page/Line." Summaries tin be prepared in an outline or narrative format.
Fundamental Deposition Summary Essentials
Do Background Work
Before summarizing depositions, brand sure you go through the pleadings. This will assistance in drafting with more focus and clarity. Carefully read and know exactly whether the complaint is of the plaintiff or his witness. On the contrary, read through the deposition reply to know if information technology is of the defendant or his witness. Focus on allegations and supporting facts while reading the pleadings.
Prioritize Information
It is vital to prioritize the information in the deposition summary. Start of all, make sure no unrelated information exists in the summary. Secondly, summarize the cardinal points only and then that information technology helps readers understand things in a timely and accurate mode. Every bit a general rule, one should summarize v pages of testimony into 1 unmarried page. This will speed up the trial process and verdict.
Include Essential Details
You must leave out the information that is of little or no value in the deposition summary but include every essential detail that may be helpful for the lawyer. This even includes the breaks taken by the witness to make the readers know that a break was taken between specific statements and help them easily locate the relevant summary parts.
Piece of work on Presentation
Lastly, brand sure that yous are presenting your degradation summary in an eye-catching way since presentation creates a lot of impact on the minds of the readers. For instance, try to provide the summary in a format that has two columns: a wide cavalcade on the right and narrow column on the left.
Apart from this, continue the line and folio numbers in the left column and the testimony's summary in the right column, including the date, case, and witness name. If needed, a table of index or contents can be included besides.
Benefits of a Well-Documented Degradation Summary
Time-Saving – Time is crucial in legal cases, and a deposition summary helps save time at big past providing a quick reference to master testimony points, enabling lawyers to focus on trial preparation and case strategies instead.
Convenience – A degradation summary provides great convenience to the lawyers since he doesn't take to go through the entire testimony but simply review the key facts.
Pretrial Preparation Help – This helps a lot in pretrial grooming as a lot of effort and time are saved with respect to reviewing the unabridged testimony, and the aforementioned can be used to get prepared for the trial.
Helpful in Technical Testimony Cases – Witnesses who are technically qualified provide technical testimonies against personal injury, workers' compensation, etc., that are essential to the trial process. As well, it aids in locating discrepancies through cross-verification amongst various deponents.
Useful for Everyone – The degradation summary is useful for everyone, including assigning attorneys, insurance companies, other clients, and litigation team members, etc.
Determination
A deposition summary is of smashing help to non just the lawyers but others involved in the trial as well. All the same, it should be well-documented and presented in an organized way to save the time and try of lawyers and people going through information technology. Lawyers can use this time in trial preparation and executing other important tasks.
But the problem occurs when lawyers have to manage the non-core tasks of a plethora of cases simultaneously. This is where litigation support services come to their rescue.
In instance you are a decorated lawyer or an owner of the legal firm and are feeling overwhelmed with work, you may consider joining hands with Cogneesol. It has been providing qualitative legal back up solutions to attorneys and legal firms worldwide since 2008 . Contact u.s.a. to start your complimentary trial!
Also Read :
3 Platonic Ways to Keep a Check on Your Litigation Costs
Why is there an Increase in Litigation Support Outsourcing?
Why Law Firms Should Consider Legal Administration Outsourcing?
Source: https://www.cogneesol.com/blog/drafting-deposition-summary-proficiently/
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