Video Deposition Tips

Here are some tips for giving a video deposition:

1. Practice speaking clearly and calmly. Take some time to rehearse your responses so that you feel more comfortable speaking on camera.
2. Dress appropriately. It’s important to dress in business attire for a video deposition, because you want to present a professional appearance on camera.
3. If you’re doing online virtual depositions, make sure you have a good internet connection. A stable internet connection is essential for a smooth and successful video deposition. Hard line (wired) connection is best.
4. Test your equipment. Make sure that your microphone, webcam, and any other equipment you’ll be using is working properly before the deposition begins.
5. Be aware of your body language. Pay attention to your posture, eye contact, and facial expressions during the deposition.
6. Speak slowly and distinctly. It’s important to enunciate your words clearly and speak at a moderate pace so that the transcript of the deposition is accurate.
7. Listen carefully to the questions being asked. Take a moment to pause and think before answering any question, and make clarify any questions being asked if you’re uncertain their question.
8. Be patient and calm. Don’t interrupt the questioning attorney or try to talk over them. It’s important to let the attorney finish their question before you begin speaking. If you’re taking a pause before answering, then this becomes much easier because there’s no inclination to speak over them.
9. Don’t guess or speculate. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s okay to say that you don’t know. Don’t try to guess or speculate. Simply answer “I don’t know the answer to that”, “I don’t recall”, “I’m not certain about that” or something along those lines.
10. The most important tip – be honest and truthful. It’s important to be honest and truthful during a deposition, as you are under oath. If you exagerate or lie, you could be going to jail for perjury