Why Remote Depositions Are Here to Stay

During the past few years, the number of litigators utilizing in-person vs. remote depositions have done a virtual 180. In 2022, COVID-related court restrictions in some jurisdictions have lifted, and state and local requirements for masks and distancing have diminished. With that shift, a question remains on the minds of litigators and court reporters alike—will remote depositions remain the trend? The answer, unequivocally, is yes—and here’s why.

Attorneys Prefer (Certain) Remote Work

In their latest “State of Practice Survey,” Bloomberg Law found that 86% of polled attorneys would like to work some of their days remotely, with nearly 40% saying they would like to work 4 or more days a week away from the office (Bloomberg Law, 2022). Despite preferring to work remotely on the whole, litigators are eager to be back in the courtroom—not the deposition room.

In the courtroom, litigators are eager to have their cases back in front of live judges and juries. Though courts have their dockets piled high due to the pandemic, many are developing new procedures to expedite the backlog. Attorneys are taking advantage, moving up their filings, and utilizing the space where their arguments often hold the most sway.

When it comes to depositions—many litigators are less enthusiastic, with several preferences guiding why. For one, many want to skip the commutes. Whether it was the firm, the location of the deponent, or somewhere in the middle—remote depositions save on travel time and cost. 

Second, the convenience of remote platforms particularly geared to litigation (such as Huseby’s HusebyConnect) continue to make remote depositions easier than ever before. 

Finally, attorneys recognize that these benefits are equally valuable to clients, court reporters, and other parties with whom they work—moving cases forward.

Huseby’s Remote Platform: HusebyConnect

In response to the ever-shifting needs of attorneys and court reporters alike, Huseby has redeveloped our remote deposition platform—HusebyConnect. Court reporters have shared with us a number of the features they like in particular.

First, Huseby’s remote platform is built on Zoom. This means that all of the comforts and many familiar features you’ve come to enjoy are incorporated into the software. Not only is it as safe and secure as Zoom is—it is designed with depositions and reporters in mind. Second, exhibits are handled by the attorney—which means hands-off for the reporter—and the marked exhibits are automatically saved in the reporter’s portal for immediate access. Third, all parties, including the reporter, have a quick and easy 1-click link to join the live event—so, no need to log-in to anything to join and your link can easily be saved to your calendar. Lastly, the entire application is web-based, so no need to download anything to join!
 

Remote or In-Person: Huseby’s Got Your Back

With an increasing lifting of restrictions in 2022, many attorneys expect in 2023 to be taking more in-person depositions. At the same time, it seems clear that remote depositions are here to stay. When remote, your experience is enhanced by our in-house remote deposition platform—HusebyConnect—which features some great new tools for the coming year. Whether the litigators you work with prefer in-person or remote, Huseby’s got your back—making the seamless taking of both in-person and remote deposition easier than ever.

Whether you want to share more about your experience as a reporter in 2022, newsletter feedback, or are interested in writing for the Huseby Reporter, please email us anytime at: email@huseby.com.

Source(s):  Bloomberg Law. (2022). 2022 State of Practice Survey. https://www.bloomberglaw.com/product/blaw/page/surveys_home.