Do you conduct depositions only to later struggle to find time to summarize the transcripts to become familiar or reacquainted with the testimony? We can help! Read on for more information.

Depositions are critical discovery components in many types of litigation. These question and answer periods under oath can take hours to complete and result in voluminous pages of recorded testimony. It is often during the deposition process that information not disclosed in written discovery becomes apparent.

Attorneys cannot possibly note all the information obtained during the deposition at the time, so they rely upon the deposition transcripts once they are delivered by the court reporters to refresh them. But then what? Some firms will summarize all deposition transcripts and others will only prepare summaries as the case closes in on trial (often years later!) These summaries can help refresh or inform attorneys as to where certain topics and disclosures are made in the record.

Often, attorneys, have their secretaries summarize depositions – which can be time-consuming – on top of other assigned tasks. Consider a dedicated E-Typist legal assistant to do this work for you, such as Tara O, who writes:

“I worked in a general practice firm for a number of years as the lead legal assistant and office manager. I prepared hundreds of deposition transcripts and trained others to do so as well. The goal was always to make the summary process efficient while capturing the critical elements with brevity. While working for E-typist, I have transcribed many deposition summaries, some in page-line format, others in paragraphs, and some dictated as deposition updates in letter form. I enjoy preparing deposition summaries as one of the services that E-Typist provides, and I’m utilizing the skills I developed in an office setting. These skills are serving a useful purpose still, as I work from my home office.”
Whether you have one transcript for a workers’ compensation claimant or multiple transcripts in a civil litigation case, we can assist! If you would be interested in exploring this, visit the Contact Us page on this website, and let’s get started!