Couple weeks back on a Monday morning, a messages from an attorney friend, “Have you got videoconferencing up and running in your place. If so, can I rent by the hour?” Short story long… Friday marked the first video teleconferencing (VTC) deposition in our boardroom. “You really need to get the word out to the other attorneys in our area. Your room had a great quality high-definition image. Their voices were clear and facial expressions were clearly visible. The room was spacious, inviting and comfortable. There is nothing like it around.”
Have such a strong reception, we now offer the use of our facilities for these purposes. Contact me, Ed Dopson, at our Charleston, SC Meeting Street facility if you are interested.
With pressures to reduce litigation cost, high-definition video teleconferencing is one the rise in legal proceedings, particularly depositions. Remote examination of a deponent is a very powerful cost savings tool. Resolving many of the draw-backs presented by remote depositions by telephone, VTC assist in addressesing the nonverbal communications (gestures, facial expressions, posture, eye contact, and more). This is an important element in deposition process.
In the past the biggest objection regarding telephone depositions was when opposing counsel was present in the room with the witness. Without seeing, the examining attorney could not tell if the answers were filtered or coached. VTC examinations help resolve many of these issues by allowing you to see what takes place in the remote room between parties.
Our facility is also equipped with separate viewing rooms; allowing paralegals, attorneys, and other observers a venue in which to openly discuss the live events taking place within the deposing room.
However, as with most other litigation efficiency tools, counsel must exercise judgment and only use remote examination when it will not compromise his/her ability to prosecute or defend their case. Working in concert with the client, the cost-conscious litigator can determine which witnesses are best suited for remote examination, and which ones warrant the cost of traveling to a deposition. As with all litigation cost control measures, sound judgment and close consultation with the client provides the greatest benefits.
