There have been many changes for all of us over the past two years. Overwhelmingly, the legal industry has transitioned to a remote work environment, to varying degrees. This trend is not particular to just the legal industry, and in response to the shift, thousands of work from home tips and tools have exploded on the net. Attorneys need to zero in on the top ones that will specifically help with remote depositions. To that end, here is a shortlist of some tools and tips to elevate the remote depo experience.
Tools-
Noise-Canceling software: Do you have a furry friend that always wants to say hello during your depos? Or maybe your next-door neighbor seems to have his lawn mowing scheduled synced up with your calendar? Noise-cancelling software will keep those distractions muted! Krisp is a free app that removes background noise and echo from your meetings. You can get it at: www.Krisp.ai.
Video Conference Lighting: Video calls have become the common way to collaborate virtually. One aspect of video calls that is overlooked is lighting quality. If your lighting is inadequate it looks unprofessional and hard to see, and back lighting will wash you out. Disorienting shadows will be an issue if your light source is coming from the side or being blocked by something in the room. These examples from life size blog give a great visual to these common lighting issues.
If your office space is in the basement or a room with limited light, consider a small ring light or light cube. We rounded up two highly rated options in affordable price ranges:
If you need a quick fix because your new lighting won’t be here in time, then be sure to position yourself with light facing you. If you can face a window, let natural light work in your favor, but if not, a desk lamp will do. Again, test it out first to see how it looks and make sure to position your light facing you, not behind you!
Webcam: Does your home office setup include a docking station for your laptop and an extra monitor or two? It’s much easier to look at the larger screen, but your webcam may be on your laptop causing your video to be a side shot of you not looking directly into the camera. Investing in a webcam to attach to the top of your monitor will provide clear video and save you from staring at your small laptop screen for the entire depo. We’ve shared two highly rated webcams at different price points for you!
Top Ten Tips-
Once you have your new tools set up for your remote depo, make sure you run through this checklist to set you up for a seamless call.
- Set up your tools: noise cancelling software, lighting, webcam
- Use a wired connection
- Have a backup plan
- Use a headset or headphones
- Keep a charger on hand
- Close out any other apps
- Use a virtual background
- Log in early
- Dress for success
- Keep a glass of water nearby
We are living in the age of remote work with home offices and advanced technology as the backbone. It has never been this simple to set up a professional working environment at home. With these tips, remote depositions are practically in person, however great the distance between attendees.
Planet Depos has been covering remote depositions for more than a decade. For more information or tips on remote depositions, visit Planet Depos Blog. To schedule your remote depositions, contact Planet Depos Scheduling at 888.433.3767, or schedulenow@planetdepos.com.
