Fighting Practical Challenges in Virtual Depositions
A year ago, taking virtual depositions from your home was likely not the standard. Yet due to COVID-19, depositions from your home office, dinner table, or bedroom have become the norm for the forseeable future. With the advancement of technology, it is possible to hold virtual depositions in an efficient and productive manner. Unfortunately, you are at a disadvantage with virtual depositions of adverse witnesses… especially when it comes to assessing their behavior. In one-on-one interactions, there are two lines of communication: verbal and nonverbal. Verbal encompasses the things we say while nonverbal relays the things we feel. We often obsess over the verbal and give little conscious regard to the nonverbal. Non-verbal communication is commonly referred to as body language. Body language offers a form of communication that is far more connected to our emotions, thoughts, and feelings than verbal communication. Because of this, it is far less easy to manipulate than words. Therefore, each time we are unable, untrained, or unwilling to analyze body language, we are missing an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and apply it. Even before COVID 19, assessing body language was a difficult task. Comprehensive knowledge of the various indicators of deception isn’t prevalent [...]