Often, paralegals are responsible for drafting deposition summaries. However, it is common to see legal nurse assistants given this responsibility in some firms too. Whether you are a paralegal or legal nurse assistant, it is your job to know the different summaries. Without this kind of knowledge, you would struggle to write a brief, concise statement capturing the main points of a deposition. These types are mostly:
1) Page-Line Summaries
Page-line summaries are easy to understand. For the most part, they refer to the lines and pages on any deposition summary. Here, pages are numbered. Lines on each page too are numbered from 1-25. These types of summaries mostly identify a deposition’s important points by page and line. Attorneys who prefer to skimming the summary or comparing one to the other are quite fond of the page-line summaries. Other features of these summaries include:
- 3-column tables
- Borders, which can be optional
- Optional fourth column to capture the topic of discussion
2)Narrative Deposition Summaries
Are you familiar with narrative medical summaries? In that case, you would not find a narrative deposition summary any different. Mostly, they narrate the testimony or evidence. For the most part, they start by capturing the demographic data of the deponent. Afterward, they proceed to the salient points of the actual testimony. Insurance adjustors often request this exact type of summary.
3)Chronological Deposition Summaries
Chronological deposition summaries are also quite popular. They are renowned for organizing the testimony chronologically. Most defense attorneys who handle legal matters for clients accused of criminal activities prefer these types of summaries. Lawyers go with these summaries to get a perfect understanding of a case chronologically. They prepare several depositions from which a master summary is then drafted.
4)Topical Deposition Summaries
Topical deposition summaries are also known as topic-by-topic summaries. Paralegals or legal nurse assistants prepare these documents based on one or several predefined topics. They are designed to offer readers a quick overview of the deposition based purely on the topic or subject matter. The predefined topics they consider are conditions or legal elements that need substantiating in court. In this regard, they are perfect for lawsuits on Worker’s Compensation.
There is no rule on the type of summary you should specialize in. Where possible, you should know how to prepare all of them. Additionally, talk with your clients to understand their views on this matter. Discuss case theories and issues with them, especially if you have not been involved in their cases from the start. With this information, you should be able to prepare a good deposition summary that helps your side to win and get justice for the client.
