Even the greenest legal professionals recognize that winning a trial takes more than just a top-notch team of attorneys. At some point all attorneys need legal support and the best attorneys will turn to a legal support firm to get the help that they need. For a deposition, there are several deposition services that legal professionals should be prepared to outsource.
A deposition is a meeting that typically takes place in an attorney’s office in which a witness answers questions from both legal teams. The two main reasons that a deposition takes place are so that attorneys from both sides can determine what a witness knows and so that an official written transcript of a witness’ testimony can be created HIPAA Compliance Solution. A deposition ensures that each side has access to the same information, allowing attorneys to conduct proper research and become familiar with the witness and his or her testimonial. To make the most of out of a deposition, there are certain deposition services that legal professionals should outsource. These services include court reporting, translations, subpoena services, and record retrieval.
Court Reporting
All depositions need to have a court reporter to transcribe everything that is said during the deposition. Court reporters can use a computer to transcribe the deposition in real-time, but most choose not do so because of the noise involved with typing away at a computer. Instead, court reporters will usually take an audio or video recording of the deposition and take written notes so that the deposition can be transcribed at a later date. Hiring a legal support firm to provide court reporting deposition services or locate a court reporter will allow attorneys to focus on the questions they plan to ask each witness.
Translations
When a witness is not a native English speaker, attorneys might elect to question the speaker in his or her native language so that the witness can provide more detailed answers. A deposition services company will be able to provide a professional who is fluent in the witness’ native language and may even be able to find a court reporter who speaks this language.
Subpoena Services
A subpoena is a legal document calling for an individual to appear at a deposition or trial, or produce evidence under a penalty for failure. Firms that provide subpoena services can create and appropriately distribute subpoenas based on case type and jurisdiction. These firms have systems in place that allow them to retrieve records with accuracy and timeliness, while also saving attorneys valuable time.
Record Retrieval
Attorneys need to acquire a wide variety of records through authorization orders, so it helps when legal professionals have access to an expert who can efficiently complete this process for them. A deposition services firm will be able to ensure HIPAA compliance by keeping a HIPAA privacy officer on staff and having all employees sign confidentiality agreements.