THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERPRETERS AT DEPOSITIONS

From the court reporter’s standpoint, when a potential witness does not speak English as his first language or when he is difficult to understand, it would be wise to consider having an interpreter present at his deposition. 

When an interpreter does his job correctly, the deposition will proceed smoothly, unimpeded, and the final transcript will be readable, understandable, and useful.

Regardless of the reporter’s technical skills, more often than not she will enter the deposition room with no prior knowledge of the matter at hand.  If the reporter has to struggle to understand what the witness is saying, and having no history of the case as a frame of reference, it will be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to decipher the answers being given.  This is a scenario that can lead to misinterpretation and error.

The skills required of an interpreter at a deposition involve more than just language fluency.  He must interpret accurately and completely, switching gears from one language to the other with ease, interpreting in a verbatim manner the question to the witness, the answer to the questioner, and any colloquy.  This means speaking in the first person, not the third person, avoiding language such as “he’s asking you” or “she said.”  The interpreter must act professionally, remain impartial, avoid any conflict of interest, and of course he must hold his duties in strict confidence.  An interpreter who specializes in legal proceedings knows all of this and is prepared to meet your standards.

Please call Doris O. Wong Associates, Inc., when you need a qualified interpreter.  We can refer you to experienced interpreters in all languages who will make your experience a positive one.