A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Video Deposition Services

Like any other great attorney, you look for every conceivable angle or asset when assisting a client with a new case. Modern technology has significantly improved many parts of the litigation process and the tools attorneys can offer their clients, and one great example here is the presence and popularity of video depositions, video conferencing and other court reporting services that have become incredibly common in recent years.

At Phoenix Deposition Services, we’re proud to offer numerous court reporting and deposition services, from video depositions to legal transcription services and much more. We also know that for many clients you may be serving, costs are the first question that come up when you recommend services like these – and we’re here to help, with everything from a general rundown of our costs to a standard cost-benefit analysis we help numerous attorneys and their clients go through to determine whether our services are ideal given the circumstances. Here’s a primer on why video depositions are so valuable to many clients, plus some information on some of the cost-benefit concerns certain clients raise and how you can respond to these with the right data.

Major Advantages of Video Depositions

Over recent years, and particularly the past 12 months or so, areas like video conferencing and related technology have become second nature to many more people than in previous generations. A far greater percentage of the population knows how to use and manage basic video call services today than even 10 years ago, and at the same time, the costs of entry and operation for these services are far, far lower.

This means that for a very low cost, attorneys and their clients can get all the benefits of video depositions and related video conferencing services within the legal realm:

  • Capturing context: Compared to a simple written transcription, video deposition services simply capture exponentially more detail. You’ve surely heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” – what about a whole bunch of moving pictures in the form of video, then?For cases that do end up at trial, playing video testimony is just way more impactful than reading from a transcript. The jury gets a chance to actually see the person giving testimony and understand every nuance of what they say and do, rather than missing all sorts of context that’s lost otherwise.
  • Civility: For any attorney who worries about a client being unruly during a deposition, video depositions offer an extra layer of security here. Videographers being present in a deposition have shown to encourage civility in past cases, as clients know they’re on film and could be punished later on for bad behavior.
  • Nonverbal: While this relates to the context area above, it also deserves its own section. Simply put, most people convey far more information than just their words while they speak – they also give off all sorts of nonverbal cues, from their facial expressions to the way they shift their weight and much more. But through transcripts alone, you might miss vital details like someone pausing or stumbling over their words – details you’ll never miss using video deposition services.

Possible Concerns With Video Depositions

We’d be silly if we just pretended attorneys or clients never have questions or concerns regarding video depositions and related service. Such concerns are very important to us, in large part because we’ve worked hard to make our services as accessible and simple to use as possible for a wide range of clients.

Here are a couple general areas we’re asked about, plus the responses we give:

  • Cost and barriers to entry: Generally speaking, attorneys and clients ask about two common barriers to entry in video conferencing: The costs of filming, for one, and the time needed to review, edit and sync footage properly.To be clear, though, these costs are just far lower than they would have been even a decade ago. As we noted above, video conferencing and related themes have become incredibly cheap, and we’ve also pioneered modern editing techniques that significantly limit the time and effort needed to create your final deposition product.For clients who are concerned about their ability to even join such a conference given lack of technology they own, this area is also more advanced than ever before. Any client with a smartphone can easily join a video deposition, and there are numerous affordable alternatives for those with any internet-connected devices. While previous generations may have seen cases where certain clients without many funds available just couldn’t afford video depositions or other video conferencing services, such situations are virtually never seen today, with video services far easier to obtain.
  • Unpredictable responses: In other cases, either attorneys or clients themselves worry about how they will perform when faced with a camera. This is a setting that can have a unique effect on some people, and it’s natural to at least think about this.That said, the pressure involved here is honestly pretty comparable to many other high-stress situations a client may find themselves in during a case or trial situation. For instance, a client being called to the witness stand during an important trial, in front of a packed courthouse and a full jury, could easily have the same kinds of nerves or other issues as when they’re in front of a camera. The real impetus here is on the attorney in question, who must take the proper steps to prepare their client for the kinds of questions they’ll get and ensure there isn’t a major risk of unpredictable responses or other negative outcomes.

For more on how to analyze the costs and benefits of video deposition and video conferencing services, or to learn about any of our Phoenix court reporters or other solutions, speak to the staff at Phoenix Deposition Services today.