Good Luck Comes to Court Reporters Who Prepare

We have a saying at DLE Legal: Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself. It’s an inspired thought when you’re building a reputation as highly-skilled, cutting-edge, trustworthy, and reliable national court reporting firms like DLE Legal, but it doesn’t hold true during an out-of-state deposition.

We offer our services across all 50 states including New York, Texas, Illinois, California and Florida. Our court reporters travel all over the nation for depositions and other legal proceedings, either in-person or via video conferencing, so we are always in brand new situations and surrounded by new legal teams, witnesses, and supporting colleagues every time. We’ve found a few ways to adapt immediately to unknown environments, merge seamlessly with the teams, and get the job done perfectly. Here are five of our favorites to ensuring a successful deposition, whether you’re an attorney, paralegal, or court reporter:

Five Ways to Ensure a Successful Deposition

  • Introductions are important. In a new and hurried situation, you may meet people quickly and immediately forget their names. Employ a method for meeting new colleagues like repeating their names for clarification or asking for their business cards.
  • Success is in the details. From scheduling to the actual deposition, pay attention to the small parts like the case caption; date, time and location of the deposition; names of deponents; subject matter to be discussed; and estimated length of proceedings. Ask if there will be technical material discussed, whether the deponents will require an interpreter, and if the proceedings will be videotaped. If you ’re interested in a list of questions to ask your deposition videographer, we’ve provided those, too. https://www.dlelegal.com/five-focused-faqs-questions-to-ask-your-deposition-videographer/
  • Instruct the deponents on how to best work with the court reporter and attorneys, from speaking clearly and slowly to telling the truth. We’ve also compiled a detailed primer for witnesses’ best practices. https://www.dlelegal.com/dont-common-client-mistakes-trial-deposition/
  • Open communication is integral to the success of any legal proceeding. Court reporting is mentally and physically taxing. We understand that it’s difficult to ask for a break, but it is necessary. At DLE Legal, we provide backup reporters if the proceedings are lengthy and require a relief team to keep it on schedule.
  • Let the final record reflect the accuracy of the proceedings. Avoid asking ambiguous questions, clarify vague answers, and be vigilant about how the questions and answers will look in writing.

At DLE Legal, we’ve established a strong reputation for delivering more than expected. If you’re in need of proven and trusted national court reporters for your next legal proceeding, contact us. Nationwide, we’re where you need us to be.