At Phoenix Deposition Services, we’re proud to provide court reporting and numerous other services that allow attorneys to have a great idea of testimony in advance. In today’s blog, we will be writing about common deposition questions.
We’re also here to provide basic expertise as well, however. A deposition is a period used to gather pretrial information and discover what a witness does or doesn’t know about a given case – here are some of the standard questions that will come in a deposition.
Introductory Questions
Introductory questions are in place first to put the witness at ease, and second to help keep them honest later during the trial. Common questions here will include:
- You understand you are under sworn oath and must tell the truth?
- Have you had a deposition taken in the past?
- Are you prepared to answer questions and nothing will prevent you from giving your full attention?
- Will you let me know if you don’t understand any of my questions?
- Will you let me know if you need a break?
- Are you taking any medications that could interrupt our session in any way?
Background Questions
Once introductory questions are finished, the attorney will move to specific personal background questions. These include five separate categories:
- Identification: Things like your name, nicknames, date of birth, age, and social security number.
- Marital history: Whether you’ve been married, spousal information, whether you have children, etc.
- Residential history: Current address, previous addresses, length of tenancy, reasons for moving, and who lived with you.
- Education: What level you attained, what schools you attend(ed), what degrees you hold or are working on.
- Legal history: Whether you’ve been arrested in the past or convicted of a crime, why, what penalty you paid, and whether you’ve been involved in any other legal claims or lawsuits.
Deposition Preparation Questions
In addition, the deposing attorney is allowed to ask the witness about how they prepared for the deposition itself. Questions here may include:
- How did you prepare?
- Did you speak to anyone besides your attorney? If so, who and why?
- What did you discuss during deposition preparation?
- What documents pertaining to the case have you reviewed?
- Did you meet with counsel for the opposing side prior to the deposition?
- Have you spoken with or signed any agreements with reporters regarding this case?
For more on the basics of a deposition speak to the pros at Phoenix Deposition Services today.
