When it comes to modern legal practices in Houston, litigation support must maintain precise control of the deposition from start to finish. Although remote depositions offer unparalleled convenience, from reducing travel time to improving client comfort, they can also present a unique challenge when it comes to maintaining focus over the internet. At Hanna & Hanna Court Reporting, our team of certified professional court reporters can help you achieve a perfectly executed remote deposition by maintaining focus and organization throughout even your longest depositions. Use this blog to learn how we use technology and a systematic approach in order to maintain focus even during long, tiring depositions.
The Foundation of Focus: Technical and Mental Pre-Deposition Mastery
The biggest factor when it comes to creating a focused, productive space is the pre-planning process. At Hanna & Hanna Court Reporting, we think about this like pre-loading both the battery and the overall process for the entirety of the remote legal proceeding. This section will cover how we cultivate a solid foundation for operations, allowing everyone on the remote deposition call to remain focused and professional during important testimonies. Not only does this make the entire call go more smoothly and efficiently, but it can also help your team conserve valuable time and energy, as well as receive better, clearer insight into the case.
Technical Setups To Prevent Distraction
The biggest threat to remote depositions that might be hours long is not just distraction or boredom, but actually technical glitches that are unexpected and completely derail all goals. This could be like stuttering video image, in-and-out audio cues, or a sudden bandwidth drop. All of these events cannot only cause malfunctions in your transcript but can also lead to distractions, interruptions, and struggling to get back into focus. Our team of certified remote court reporters troubleshoots a vast array of technical difficulties and eliminates high-cost distractions during a remote deposition.
When it comes to securing internet reliability, we always recommend a hardwired Ethernet connection over Wi-Fi. However, if Wi-Fi is a more accessible option for your litigation support needs, be sure it is a protected, private connection. Avoiding Houston coffee shops or other public, unsecured networks can not only prevent unexpected disconnections during legal proceedings, but can also maximize the security of your call, which is essential for private information.
Additionally, we use high-quality audio systems in order to ensure the best, most accurate transcriptions. On our end, we strive to make sure all audio is clear by providing all users with numerous audio tests before the litigation support commences, but on the users’ end, we recommend using high-quality, noise-cancelling earbuds that have an accurate, built-in microphone for crispy input and output.
Lastly, the final element of setting your litigation support system up for success includes closing all unnecessary programs during a remote deposition. We do this to free up crucial bandwidth and help prevent a potential crash, as well as a slew of audio or visual distractions such as notifications. For some clients, putting their device into “Do Not Disturb” mode can be vital for maintaining complete focus.
Mental Preparation For a Successful Deposition
Aside from the technical preparation and planning, the mental preparation on our end is what truly sets us apart for accuracy and professionalism from start to finish of your remote deposition. Diligent research backs the most vital element of this portion of preparation, eliminating zero uncertainty during the live recording.
The most essential part of this is reviewing case material, party names, and complex, specific terminology related to the case ahead of time. This gives out remote court reports, complete confidence in their role, and the goal of the remote deposition. The biggest cause for a distraction or attention break is an upset from the normal routine flow of a deposition, so the preparation and research ahead of time is what can greatly help solve this problem and keep everyone on track.
Cultivating the Best Physical Environment for Litigation Support
Regardless of how well our team of remote court reporters has researched and prepped the technology, if the physical environment of all participants is actively working against them, then focus can easily be lost. When it comes to long remote depositions or litigation support that extends throughout the entire day, your physical setup is much more than just a backdrop. By eliminating distractions in the room, such as pets, family members, associates, or noise machines, you can focus solely on the remote deposition at hand.
Another aspect of remote court reporting that can sometimes lead to loss of focus is simply the background each user has in the gallery. It is essential that each participant understands these basic checks in order to allow everyone to focus and have a clear vision of each speaker during the remote deposition:
- Front-focused lighting: Be sure that your main light source is directly in front of you, instead of behind. This can help prevent backlighting and distracting silhouettes.
- Camera angle: Make sure that you are centered and well-framed, without any visible clutter or personal documents in the frame.
- Physical background preferred: While using a virtual background is useful during extenuating circumstances, opting for a neutral, clean, physical backdrop is better for litigation support proceedings. This is because the virtual backgrounds tend to move and degrade in quality throughout the call, which can be extremely distracting.
Lastly, using an ergonomic chair with proper lumbar support is essential for maintaining a comfortable posture and preventing burnout during an hours-long deposition. Maintaining a level chin by using a laptop stand or external monitor can help prevent neck strain.
Strategies for Focus and Stamina During Remote Depositions
While preparing for a remote deposition and investing in the proper physical setups can help set your call up for a focused, productive outcome – strategies for maintaining focus during the remote court proceeding are essential. When remote depositions are multiple hours long and complicated, keeping an entire team focused can be difficult. Because of this, we recommend prioritizing these three pillars:
- The recess strategy: We recommend short, regular recesses every hour to help reset the attention span.
- Micro-breaks and movement: Sometimes, following the 20-20-20 Rule is game-changing, which includes looking away from the screen every 20 minutes, for 20 seconds, at something 20 feet away.
- Hydration and proper nutrition: All participants should keep a bottle of water nearby, as dehydration is one of the biggest causes of attention deficit. Avoiding sugary foods during meal breaks can also help prevent a major energy crash during remote depositions.
Besides all of these strategies, our certified remote court reporters are expertly trained in advanced reporting techniques – even in situations where interruptions or lags occur.
Remote Litigation That Helps Prevent Distraction and Interruptions
Remote litigation support runs much deeper than a simple Zoom meeting. Information passed during remote depositions is highly sensitive and can be easily interrupted or missed when focus is lost by one or many participants. When you work with Hanna & Hanna Court Reporting in Houston, you can be sure that technological troubles and other distractions won’t keep you from having a highly productive and time-effective legal proceeding, no matter where you’re logging in from. Contact us today to get in contact with a Houston remote litigation support expert.