{"id":900000,"date":"2022-06-02T15:56:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T21:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=900000"},"modified":"2022-06-02T15:56:21","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T21:56:21","slug":"deposition-other-sides-three-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/deposition-other-sides-three-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Know the Other Side\u2019s Three Goals for Your Deposition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm | Holland & Hart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, your deposition has been scheduled, and you\u2019re just starting to wrap your head around what is in store for you. Your lawyer has already stressed that you are not in the driver\u2019s seat at this stage: The deposition is the other side\u2019s process. Because of that, it helps to devote some thought to what they are looking for. A realistic and complete understanding of your adversary\u2019s goals can help you prepare for your own testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every case and every opposing counsel will be different, and there may be unique factors in your own situation. At the same time, there are strong currents of common practice that underlie the ways most attorneys conduct their discovery. In this post, I\u2019ll provide an overview of three common and distinct goals that motivate the other side\u2019s deposition. These are goals that every witness should understand and adapt to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Taking Your Deposition, Your Adversary Wants to\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They want to flesh out the facts and to know in advance what you are going to say on all of the major issues.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, of course, is a proper goal of a deposition: The other side has a right to know what you\u2019re going to say on the relevant issues. So, as the witness, you will want to review what you know of the facts, firm up what you do and don\u2019t remember, and take inventory of what you think on all the topics within your expected sphere of testimony. The other side\u2019s goal is to commit you to a substantive answer in advance of trial, so your answers will have lasting consequences. Should it ever get to trial, you won\u2019t need to give exactly the same answers on the stand, but you will need to be basically consistent with what you say at your deposition, or ready to explain any differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enlist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They want to see if you will help them to support their case theory, or at least part of their story.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They can make their case without you \u2014 they have their clients, experts, and arguments. But it helps them if you can add support to at least a part of their case. For that reason, they will see if they can enlist you in that effort by asking you if you\u2019ll accept some of their premises. They may want you to concede specific facts or principles because it gives them a stronger position to argue from if they can stand before a future jury and say, \u201cShe already agrees with this.\u201d Of course, if it is true, it is true, and you lose credibility by fighting it. But quite often, what opposing counsel presents to you isn\u2019t just a simple unvarnished fact, but something with selectivity and spin applied to it. It is critical to pause, think, and answer in your own words. And don\u2019t help them where you don\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assess<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They want to size you up to see how you come across, and especially how you will present yourself if you testify in trial.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most cases these days are resolved without trial, but they\u2019re often resolved with an eye toward how a trial would have gone if it had happened. Will the witness be confident or nervous, certain or doubtful, unflappable or combative? Performing well on all of those metrics can contribute to the case assessment that each side is making. Plaintiffs in particular don\u2019t want to invest time and money into cases that are unlikely to net a good return. So for the witness, your goal is to testify well, as if to say, \u201cThis is how I\u2019ll be on the stand, so factor that into your calculations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, the goal is to move from the deposition feeling mysterious and uncertain to it being known and controlled. By discussing the facts, practicing the expected testimony, and knowing the other side\u2019s goals, you\u2019ll be better prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When one of your cases is in need of a construction expert, estimates, insurance appraisal or umpire services in defect or insurance disputes – please call Advise & Consult, Inc. at 888.684.8305, or email experts@adviseandconsult.net<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm | Holland & Hart So, your deposition has been scheduled, and you\u2019re just starting to wrap your head around what is in store for you. Your lawyer has already stressed that you are not in the driver\u2019s seat at this stage: The deposition is the other side\u2019s process. Because of that, it… Continue reading Know the Other Side\u2019s Three Goals for Your Deposition<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[172],"tags":[9895,474],"class_list":["post-900000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-law-2","tag-advise-consult","tag-deposition","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nKnow the Other Side\u2019s Three Goals for Your Deposition - Advise & Consult, Inc.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"overview of three goals that motivate the other side\u2019s deposition. 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