[author: Juan Puerto]
In-person depositions are on the rise again, but remote depositions are here to stay. Even though remote depositions are no longer the only option, they remain a very convenient and increasingly efficient option. As a Planet Depos survey recently demonstrated, many attorneys predict that they will continue to use the remote deposition option, or hybrid, because of the many benefits it avails. Here are the reasons for remote depositions’ popularity.
Remote depositions are extremely convenient. Scheduling depositions requires coordinating many calendars – calendars of people who are very busy all the time. If you don’t need to get all these people into the same room, that gives you greater flexibility. If all parties can participate from their own office or home, that increases the availability because it removes any travel time from their tight schedule.
Remote depositions offer clients cost savings. With all deposition travel eliminated, the related expense is removed from your client’s account. The travel fees and billable time spent in travel can make an appreciable difference to a cost-conscious client. Many firms noted that the cost savings to clients was a significant benefit they appreciated about remote depositions, and one that their clients noticed and embraced.
Remote depositions have become more secure and seamless than ever. Technology responded well to the pressure applied in early 2020, making huge advances to support so many working from home. Suddenly everyone was meeting online, and remote platforms stepped up to the plate to improve the experience for their users. Likewise, court reporting professionals have adapted quickly, as they have throughout the history of the profession. They pivoted quickly to get up to speed on all the technology to keep depositions moving forward, offering all the services available for in-person depositions so law firms would have what they needed for their case.
Remote depositions offer law firms time savings. For attorneys and paralegals with heavy workloads, time saved makes an enormous impact. This “additional” time means they can devote more time to trial preparation, filing paperwork with the courts, and other crucial casework. Their clients appreciate the time savings as well. Wanting more hours in the day is a universal desire, and remote depositions bring attendees a little closer to the realization of that dream.
Remote international depositions are simple and offer huge cost and time savings to attorneys and their clients. International travel is pricey. Jet lag (both ways!) can require a recovery day – more time taken from case preparation. If not traveling abroad for multiple depositions, remote international depositions make good sense. If the reporter can be in the same location as the witness, all the better, and an international court reporting agency can make that happen for you.
Remote depositions are extremely versatile. All participants could be remote, or one or a few attendees could be remote while all other parties are in the same room. This again offers greater flexibility for scheduling if, for example, an attorney can’t quite squeeze in the travel time to attend the deposition. Send this one attorney a link to join the deposition from his office uptown while everyone else is in a conference room downtown. Whatever the reason they can’t make it to the deposition, a party can still attend from wherever they are, as long as they have stable internet and a connecting device.
