If you have never been involved in a court proceeding or given a deposition before in Pasco or Herndando County, Florida, you may be nervous if you have been ordered to give a deposition in your divorce case. In divorce depositions, the attorney will want to know a wide variety of information about your personal life, your financial life, your career, your children, and other subjects that are related (and sometimes unrelated) to the divorce.
It’s important during your deposition that you remain calm. Fortunately, depositions are more informal than courtroom proceedings. Keep your answers short and to the point. It may be tempting to try to convince the parties involved of your side of the case, but it’s important to only give the information asked. Be honest, since you are under oath. Try to avoid becoming argumentative or acting disagreeable – this only makes you look bad or that you are trying to hide something. Avoid unnecessary fidgeting.
If you don’t know the answer to a question asked, or you can’t remember, simply say “I don’t remember” or “I don’t know” without further elaboration. If you are asked a question you don’t want to answer, you need to answer anyway unless your attorney tells you otherwise. You may feel the need to answer questions quickly, but there’s no need to do so. Instead, take your time and think through your answers. Also, it’s best that you not bring evidence or documents with you, unless your attorney instructs you to do so.
Your attorney is a valuable asset during your divorce deposition. Your attorney may make objections to certain questions, and if he or she does so, you should wait until the issue is resolved before answering. It’s important that you don’t look at your attorney too often during the deposition, however, as it can appear that your attorney is telling you what to say. It’s also important that you not argue with or become hostile to the opposing attorney.