If you are currently involved in a litigation matter either as the plaintiff, the defendant, or just as a witness you may have a deposition coming up. A deposition is a proceeding where a party to the litigation asks questions of a witness under oath in order to gather information that they can use to better understand the case and also information that they can use at trial to examine the witnesses on the stand. Because depositions are under oath they are conducted with a high level of formality. All of this can make depositions intimidating to think about and you probably have many questions including who is allowed to attend the deposition.
For starters there will always be a few people all but guaranteed to be in the deposition. This includes the examiner, or the person asking the questions; you, the person answering the questions; your attorney(s); attorneys for the other parties; the court reporter, to transcribe the deposition; and the videographer to tape the deposition. Additionally, if English is not your primary language there can be an interpreter present to facilitate the questions and answers.
While these are the individuals most likely to be present at the deposition it is not limited to them in all cases. The examiner or attorneys may want to have an expert there to assist in the questioning and they might be present as well. A party can bring in anyone they want but the other party has the right to object to their presence at the deposition and can seek an order excluding that person from the proceedings. So while you may plan on an individual being at the deposition, that is always subject to change if the other party wants to have them excluded.
This being said, you may want to bring along a family member or a friend for support during the deposition but there is no guarantee you will be able to if the other party wants to keep them out, and there is also the potential that your attorney will advise against it. While depositions can be intimidating, having a good attorney who can help you understand the process and guide you through it will make it much easier. If you have a deposition coming up and would like to speak with an attorney, King Law is here to help. Call 888-748-5464(KING) to schedule a consultation today.