A deposition by definition is evidence that is given under oath and gets recorded for being used in court later on. In the US, depositions are given outside the court in well defined circumstances and are recognized for even criminal cases. Depositions are part of the e discovery process. Legal Deposition summaries can be transcribed within the law firm or the work can be outsourced to professional legal service providers/paralegals located outside. Legal transcription of various deposition summaries are finally done by the transcriptionists by listening to taped recordings/video recordings or from the dictation recordings by lawyers.
Before both the parties (litigants) in any litigation go to trial, they have to prepare and collect relevant information from each other and this process is called e-discovery. During litigation, depositions become one of the most useful tools for any attorney or lawyer.
Here are the different formats of depositions that are sent for transcription;
Chart summary deposition Page-by-page deposition Topic summary deposition Customized depositions
Each different style or format has its advantages. In a chart type format the gist of the content is presented in a continuous fashion while the topic summary helps in quick identification of the subject matter.
There are various litigation support companies offering deposition and court reporting services using state of the art various types of technologies are being used. Real time court reporting and quick transcription work with a minimal turnaround time can make deposition transcripts available in very less time. In the US different states and cities may have different practices with regards to how the transcripts have to be produced.
Lack of witness at trials may frequently require video recordings of depositions to be taken. The attorney who has ordered the deposition starts questioning the deponent, who is notified with a subpoena. The court reporter has to make a verbatim stenographic record of all that is said during the deposition. This is called direct examination. Cross examinations by other attorneys also take place. Sometimes, the legal deposition transcripts offer enough evidence that leads to a settlement out of court.
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