How to Answer Questions at Your Deposition: Don't Let the Gobbledygook Bamboozle You - Paperback

by David Grappo (Author)

This book collects a great deal of advice about what to do and not to do at a deposition. It prepares the witness for many of the common occurrences at a deposition.The book's scope goes well beyond the two basic rules that every witness should know: tell the truth, but volunteer nothing. It covers many other topics such as identifying and dealing with confusing questions, abusive conduct, and interruptions. Also discussed is the little known but widely used tactic of trial lawyers to use the foibles of your memory against you. What you think you know, but don't, can hurt you. The book explains your counter-tactic: talk less. Many examples and a self-test are given to illustrate the concepts. Though comprehensive, the booklet is also compact. Most can read through it in less than an hour. This book is designed for lay witnesses in any type of civil lawsuit. Young attorneys should benefit from it too. They can quickly learn lessons which experience will slowly teach them.

Author Biography

David Grappo is a retired attorney. He spent many years conducting depositions, defending his clients at depositions, and watching other attorneys conduct depositions in civil lawsuits. He also had the special opportunity as a deposition witness himself to learn what it is like to be deposed. He prepared this booklet for his clients as their first step in preparing for their depositions.