Depositions help you throughout civil litigation. There’s pertinent information to learn about interrogations, meetings, briefs, and more. The lawyer has to put all of this into a summary to save time. Here are some tips for writing legal depo summaries.
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Why Are Deposition Summaries Important?
If you’re writing legal depo summaries, you need to be clear on a few things to help you get through the process. Here are some of the reasons why attorneys need depo summaries:
- Helps prepare for pretrial motions
- Can help you prepare for a trial witness exam
- Preparing for discovery demands, responses, and interrogations
- Recognizing testimony and concerns for trial witness impeachment
When writing a deposition, you cut through all the fat and get to the main points. It helps you pinpoint the main facts to help you present a better case. Also, you can verify things verbatim to ensure that everything is accurate.
Work on the Essentials
There are several things you need to do to make it easier to draft a deposition.
Do Background Work
Make sure you go through all of the pleadings before you begin drafting. When you know the ins and outs of the information, you can start writing with more focus. Look at the allegations and see what supporting facts help match everything up.
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Include the Essential Data
An ideal place to start is by prioritizing everything. Don’t focus on the information that provides little or no value. Summarize the key points that help readers understand things in a timely and accurate fashion.
If you’re going through five pages of testimony, shorten it to one page. Make sure that you go through all of the essential details and include the breaks between specific statements.
Benefits of Writing a Well-Documented Deposition
When you write a solid deposition, you save time. You can reference everything immediately. Lawyers can use the extra time to focus on trial preparation and case strategies.
It’s convenient to locate the key facts. Even if it makes it to a trial setting, the lawyer will be more organized.
Lawyers can also locate any fallacies in the case, which helps during the cross-verification process. If you argue against personal injury and workers’ compensation, a solid deposition summary comes in handy.
When writing a deposition, make sure you have all the essential data ready to help you write it in an accurate and timely manner.