At DepoDirect, we provide services for all kinds of depositions where a digital reporter can remotely manage the event. Below we have details on how to setup and successfully run any kind of deposition with us.

Remote Depositions

Remote depositions are the core of the DepoDirect platform. These are depositions where each participant is in a separate location and joins the Zoom meeting with their own computer.

Fully remote depositions have the benefit of each participant being able to attend from wherever is most convenient for them, and avoids long travel times. Each participant is responsible for ensuring they have a stable internet connection, a good microphone, and a good webcam.

A fully remote deposition allows us to get clear audio for all participants and a clear witness video. It also allows for participants to individually mute themselves when they don't need/want to be recorded.

Hybrid Depositions

Hybrid depositions are similar to remote depositions with the key difference that at least two people are sharing one connection to the Zoom meeting.

An example would be every participant being on their own computer with the exception of the witness and their personal attorney sharing a single computer. In that case the witness and their attorney would be sharing the microphone for the computer in front of them.

A hybrid deposition can be run exactly the same as a remote deposition. The primary downside to a hybrid deposition is the automatic rough transcript generated by DepoDirect will not be able to properly identify the speaker for anyone sharing a microphone. The transcript will instead group whatever was spoken by those people under the single participant name used to join the Zoom meeting. This is only a problem for the speaker identification, as the transcript will still reflect what was spoken. Ordering a final transcript will correct this, and you will be provided a fully admissible transcript with proper speaker identification.

In-Person Depositions

In-person depositions are where the DepoDirect platform is used where all participants are in a single room and only the digital reporter is attending remotely. This kind of deposition can still be managed the same way in the DepoDirect platform.

An in-person deposition can be run similarly to a remote or hybrid deposition, but does have a few key differences to be aware of.

First, there are specific setup requirements that will need to be followed by someone attending the in-person meeting. Those requirements are detailed below.

Second, because there will be a single microphone capturing everyone in the room, the rough transcript will not automatically identify specific speakers by name. The spoken words will still be captured as normal, but the software is not able to identify who said what. DepoDirect recommends that in-person depositions always have the final transcript ordered, so that you can get an accurate transcript that includes speaker names.

In-person depositions with DepoDirect will require you to ensure a certain setup to get the best results. DepoDirect cannot provide technicians to attend in-person.

Audio Setup

The audio setup is the most important part of running an in-person deposition with DepoDirect. Only a single computer should be connected to the Zoom meeting audio. Other people in the room may connect to the meeting, but they should have their speakers and microphones muted. They can also disconnect from the audio in the meeting to ensure no feedback.

For the single computer in the room connected to the audio, we recommend a quality conference microphone and speaker combo. DepoDirect can send our recommended hardware to you on request. To request a microphone from us, please use the Submit a Ticket button at the top of the page. We will ship the hardware to you and include a charge for the microphone with your deposition invoice.

We do not recommend the use of audio speakerphones dialed in to the Zoom meeting audio. Telephone systems do not provide the high-quality audio necessary to produce a highly-accurate transcript.

Video Setup

Video setup for an in-person deposition should ensure that the witness is visible. We recommend this be the same computer that is used to connect the audio for the meeting. The webcam used should be positioned the same as though the witness was using their own laptop.

In the likely case that a laptop is being used, it should be placed in front of the witness as though they were using the laptop themselves to join from home. We recommend that the microphone-speaker combo from the audio setup be connected to the computer the witness is using.