Attending depositions abroad can be the perfect excuse to do some sightseeing, say in Brussels or London.  If you have a week or more of depositions, you can experience the local cuisine and culture, and maybe visit some world-famous museums.  However, if you are scheduling a one- or two-day deposition, or you are working with a cost-conscious client, the expense of travel and extra time you will need to set aside to attend the depositions in person may not be worth a tour of Westminster Abbey.  In a case such as this, you may want to consider attending your deposition via videoconference.

Setting up a clear videoconference connection is simple when you have the proper technicians and 24/7 support staff is available to assist throughout your videoconference’s entirety, should the need arise.  To ensure a strong connection, it is strongly recommended that a test call be conducted between the U.S. and foreign facility prior to your deposition to make sure everything works properly.  You will have the options of full, split or dual screens.  An ELMO or other document viewer can be hooked into the equipment so that documents can be displayed to the witness and/or opposing counsel.  If you require realtime, it can be easily streamed to your device even if you are not in the presence of the court reporter.  Depending on the type of equipment at each facility, the proceedings can be recorded.

Your court reporting firm can reserve a dedicated videoconferencing suite for your deposition or a conference room with videoconferencing capabilities at a hotel instead.  Both options are worth exploring to obtain the best available pricing for your client, as cost is often a driving factor in choosing the videoconference route.

It is important to remember the time difference.  For example, if you are in Chicago starting the deposition at 9 a.m. your time and your witness is in Brussels, it is already3 p.m. in Brussels, and after-hours charges may apply at the Brussels videoconference location.  Make sure all parties involved know the time (their time) the deposition starts to prevent avoidable delays.

It is best if both the reporter and videographer attend the deposition in person.  The reporter is better able to accurately take down the record when physically present with the witness, particularly if the deposition is being interpreted.  Having a legal videographer on site with the witness recording the proceedings ensures you have a professional, clear audio and visual record of the deposition.  Your legal videographer on site with the witness can also troubleshoot any issues which may arise with the videoconference on the day of the deposition.