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Court cases are infamous for the amount of paperwork they produce and the classic image of the overworked paralegal or attorney, surrounded by stacks of cardboard boxes and papers. Luckily, they have a powerful tool at their disposal to take massive amounts of testimony, whether it’s on paper, video, or audio recording, and reduce it down to a more manageable size, called a deposition summary.
Depositions consist of sworn testimony, usually conducted by an attorney out of court, and the deposition summary allows judges, jurors, or other parties to the case quickly and accurately ascertain the facts of the testimony. Because these testimonies can be quite long, the summary is a crucial part of how the lawyer translates the information into an easier format to read. As it’s a legal document and can have massive effects on people’s lives, it’s important that the summary is prepared accurately, and reviewed before a trial.
There are a few different types of depositions that are used in different cases depending on the lawyer’s needs, with the three most common types being page-line, topic-by-topic, or chronological. Page-line is a format that condenses pages down into small sections, with references to the page and line the information can be found. Topic-by-topic organizes the summary by informational topic, and chronological depositions summarize the events into a timeline so everyone can quickly grasp how the events of the case occurred.
Reasons to Review a Deposition Summary
These different types have various uses, but page-line is generally the most common, as well as the most time-consuming. Now that we have an overview of what a deposition is, the different types, and how they are used, let’s look at the absolute importance of reviewing the deposition summary before a trial.
You can correct any errors
Probably the most useful and common reason to review and edit deposition summaries is to check for errors or mistakes. These can be anything from simple typos, to formatting issues, to a court reporter or transcriber hearing the wrong word. Mistakes and errors are an indelible part of life, so it’s always smart to double-check, especially with something as important as a deposition summary.
You can make changes
Giving a deposition can be a stressful procedure for people, and you may forget things or mess up the order of things. You are allowed to make substantial changes to your testimony, but it’s important to remember that your original testimony will be provided too. You will need to provide your reasoning for the changes, which will be examined by the judge and opposing lawyers.
It helps the attorney build a case
Much of the valuable time that lawyers spend on their trials is spent reading and reviewing documents, evidence, procedures, or past precedents. This is for a simple reason – lawyers operate based on facts, timetables, and other concrete information, and there’s no other way to understand this information than by reading it. Reviewing the summary is the best way to structure their case and see which parts of the deposition they want to use in trial, pre-trial discovery, or other phases of the case.
It’s your right to review
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, in Rule 30(e), gives deponents, or those giving the deposition, the right to review and edit their depositions. However, there may be a set time period after the transcript is available or the deposition is completed in which the reviewing and editing have to be done, so always make sure you stay within the time limits.
You can check for accuracy
The people preparing the deposition summary are human too, and they may occasionally misinterpret or otherwise skew what you were saying. Reviewing the transcript allows you to make sure that the summarizer wasn’t rushing and missed something, and that all your relevant points and information are included. This is a critical step to having an effective and powerful deposition summary that you can use in court.
Successful Summaries
It’s easy to see why reviewing the facts and all documents relating to the case is so important. However, the deposition summary is one of the most important of all, because it’s a large part of what the judge and jurors will be reading. Along with in-court testimony, discovery of evidence, and other court procedures, the deposition summary is the best way to get your point of view and recollections to the court.
Because it’s in a written format that can be read, it will have a powerful effect on people. They might read it more than once, and the written word has a way of evoking emotions and influencing people’s thoughts. For all these reasons and more, it’s truly important to make sure that your summary is accurate, concise, and effective.
Court cases have a major impact on people’s lives, so accuracy is of the utmost importance. Contact a deposition summary professional today, and you can get the process started!