Witness preparation is perhaps the most important aspect of good advocacy. It is the “behind the scenes” effort that pays off in the courtroom. To be a successful litigator, it is not enough to “have the will to win.” A successful litigator must have “the will to prepare to win.”
In this post, we’ll offer a brief Ohio witness preparation guide. If you have questions, feel free to contact our firm for more information.
Proper Preparation Goes a Long Way
As litigators, there are many things that we cannot control at trial. Our client and our witnesses should not fall into that category. Careful preparation of our client and our witnesses for both their depositions or sworn testimonies at trial is one of the keys to success in civil litigation today. Both the attorney and the client must make an investment of time to ensure proper witness preparation.
For example, our firm always takes the sworn deposition (or testimony) under oath from the negligent driver. We also send our clients a notification letter and enclose a deposition information sheet, explaining the deposition process. Furthermore, we always enclose guidelines for our client’s deposition with short, concise pointers. We don’t want to leave anything to chance.
Timing is Important, Too
Our firm will never agree to a deposition date, unless it allows us and our client sufficient time to prepare. Clients need ample time to read the letter, deposition information sheet, and guidelines more than once. A deposition is a stressful event for our client, and clients can be rightfully anxious about reading instructions that we send about the deposition.
In our letter to our client, we always schedule a pre-deposition conference. A face-to-face meeting is essential. Preparing our client over the telephone is not sufficient to accomplish all of our goals. So, we take our client preparation session face-to-face. Not all firms do this, but we feel that it is very important.
Do You Need Help in Ohio?
Are you dealing with a personal injury matter? Would you like to speak to someone from our law office in Columbus, Ohio? The Law Office of Tom Somos, LLC will take your situation very seriously. If you become our client, we will work diligently to ensure that you are well prepared for your day in court.
To request information about legal representation, please click here and fill out the form. We look forward to meeting you and learning more about your needs. You can also call us 614.488.2270.
