The Changing Face of Video Deposition Technology

Video deposition technology has changed dramatically over the past several years. Thanks to the pandemic, in particular, many lawyers found that they needed the ability to conduct remote depositions. Now that technology is more accessible than ever, remote deposition technology has advanced, helping streamline the deposition process and providing access to direct video footage of the deposition. This results in more compelling arguments and support in the courtroom. As video deposition technology continues to change and grow, it offers increased opportunities for many legal teams.

Why Are Video Depositions Becoming a Necessity?

A video or remote deposition has all the same elements as a standard deposition, with one key exception: all parties can attend using remote videoconferencing technology. In today’s environment, where remote capabilities are expected in almost every industry, it’s hard to ignore the need for remote depositions. With the right platform, remote video depositions may have a number of benefits over traditional deposition services. 

Not only do they make it easier to produce compelling evidence for presentation in court, including the witness’s inflection and expressions, but they can also help streamline the process of planning depositions. Remote depositions offer easier scheduling and decrease the need for in-person court reporters at a time when shortages continue to impact the industry.

Related: How to Manage In-Person vs. Virtual Depositions for Your Firm’s Operations

How is Legal-First Technology Changing Video Depositions?

In many cases, legal-first video deposition technology has made it much easier to improve remote depositions—and even make the deposition process smoother for many lawyers and their clients. Take a look at how legal-first technology has changed the approach to depositions, including why video depositions have remained popular even as law firms have opened back up.

Making Depositions More Convenient

Remote video depositions are, in general, much more convenient than traditional deposition solutions. With a web-based platform, video depositions are accessible from anywhere. You don’t have to wait for a key witness to get back from a trip or to have time for an in-person meeting, nor do you have to wait on court reporters to be available in your area. 

Instead, you can quickly get in touch with those witnesses when it’s most convenient for everyone involved, and court reporters are now available within legal-first deposition platforms. In many cases, you can also schedule a video deposition faster than you can a traditional deposition since they are so much more accessible.

Decreasing Costs

In many cases, video deposition services can help decrease the costs associated with your case. You don’t have to worry about the expense associated with travel and lodging. Furthermore, many video deposition platforms allow you to bundle the services you may have needed anyway, which can help cut down on your overall costs. 

Putting the Focus Where You Want It

When you have control over the screen through a video deposition conducted on a legal-first platform, you can keep the focus where you want it throughout the deposition. You can spotlight key witnesses during the video deposition, avoiding distractions and making it easier to keep up with exactly where you want the attention throughout the deposition. 

Using Time More Effectively

With remote depositions, attorneys can save time and maximize their ability to take on the tasks that need to be accomplished throughout the day. Some platforms built for legal depositions offer an all-in-one package that consolidates everything needed for a successful deposition into one easy-to-use service, making your entire deposition experience more efficient and effective.  Remote depositions are frequently less time-consuming overall, which can make it easier to achieve all of your other daily goals. 

How Legal-First Platforms Have Improved Remote Video Depositions

Many legal practices started out by using Zoom to connect clients, witnesses, and law firms. While Zoom is a great platform that rose to prominence in the early days of the pandemic, it isn’t geared specifically toward the needs of legal services. 

With the emergence of legal-first remote deposition platforms, it is now easier and more convenient than ever to conduct remote depositions that mimic and even exceed the benefits of traditional depositions. The latest advances in video deposition technology have led to immense improvements and increased confidence in this critical option.

Legal Industry Standards Optimize Encryption and Security

In the early days of the pandemic, Zoom had a number of obvious security challenges that led to considerable disruption for many firms and businesses that used the platform for their meetings. While Zoom acted quickly to address those disruptions and continues to improve for its general user base, many lawyers and judges worried about the potential impact of security challenges as they continued to use a mainstream video platform for their legal needs.

Cybersecurity continues to be a major concern for many lawyers and legal associations. Everyone involved in a legal case has the right to security and privacy, and many people do not want to risk the information shared during their depositions and trials getting out. Modern video deposition platforms need to provide a high degree of security to help protect that private information. 

As a result, legal-first video platforms have evolved to provide that enhanced security, which means a higher level of protection for confidential information. The legal-first approach means that video deposition platforms designed for those needs meet a higher level of security than platforms that were initially designed primarily for personal communication. 

Transcription Technology Changes Reporting

Modern video deposition technology, with its legal first approach, offers automatic, AI-based transcriptions that can help you get an immediate transcript right after the deposition. In addition, if you use an all-in-one remote legal platform, you can get a court reporter to provide a certified transcript of your remote deposition. Having that transcription automatically included as part of your deposition can provide a number of advantages. 

With remote deposition technology, you can have access to a certified court reporter and a certified transcript when you need one. If you don’t need a certified transcript, on the other hand, you can proceed faster after the deposition at a lower price point, with a rough draft copy in hand if you need to look back over key details. 

If you do need a certified transcript, you can get one quickly after your deposition. Modern video deposition technology may also include translation and interpretation services, which can ensure that everyone involved in the process can clearly understand everyone else. 

All-in-One Solutions Focus on Legal Needs

Modern challenges require modern solutions, and remote video deposition technology is ideally designed to help you accomplish those goals. Take a look at what is available in the market for video deposition solutions. 

Does the provider you are currently working with include a court reporter as part of the package in addition to case management solutions and document storage that can help keep all of your evidence and files from the deposition, and the case, in one place? Do you get access to the tools you need to make the most out of your deposition? Those all-in-one solutions can make it much easier to consolidate and streamline your case. 

Easier Exhibit Creation and Storage Improves Evidence Handling

As part of your remote video deposition, you may need to show and store evidence that needs to be entered into the record. With the right video deposition platform, you can create and upload your exhibits ahead of time, then enter them into evidence when the time is right. You can also take care of all the essential features of dealing with that evidence directly on the platform: marking the evidence, annotating it, and having the witness initial the exhibit to ensure that all the details are accurate and fully visible to all participants. 

In addition, in some cases, you may need to load exhibits on the spot, particularly if new evidence is introduced into the conversation. As part of your remote video deposition technology, you should have the option to upload exhibits instantly, allowing you to enter them into the record seamlessly. 

On a legal-first video deposition platform, that means that you have that evidence clearly entered into the record—something that can prove much more difficult when you’re dealing with a platform that was not designed for legal needs.

Conversation Rooms Enhance Lawyer/Client Connection

Sometimes, lawyers and their clients may need to have private conversations that aren’t open to the rest of the participants of the call. Video deposition technology designed with a legal-first approach offers secure, private sidebar rooms where clients and lawyers can have conversations that aren’t visible to anyone else. 

As a result, lawyers can provide advice to or answer questions for their clients, just as they would be able to do during an in-person deposition. Many lawyers appreciate the benefits of being able to speak to their clients without sharing every aspect of that conversation with the room, even in the middle of the deposition process.

These conversation rooms are just one of the efficient features of changing, growing video deposition technology. On some mainstream platforms, breakout rooms may allow for a degree of private conversation, but those conversations may be visible to the meeting “host” or included as part of the meeting transcript, which you might not want for your deposition. The conversations that take place in a legal-first conversation room, on the other hand, intentionally remain solely between the participants.

Related: Top 5 Tips for Remote Depositions

Do You Need a Remote Video Deposition Solution?

If you’re looking for a highly effective remote video deposition solution that will help you record depositions with a court reporter, get transcripts, and have all the features you need at the ready in one bundled service, Remote Legal can help. Contact us today to learn more about our video deposition solutions and how they can help you be more efficient and keep up with the changing face of legal technology.