Karen Fahr - January 9, 2023

Can we depose a witness in France?

The quick answer is, depends on the nationality of the witness.

The Good News – voluntary depositions of U.S. citizens are pretty straight forward in France, and similar to conducting one up in the United States. However, France is one of those difficult countries which requires special permission to depose French citizens and third-country nationals. With the right court reporting firm this process can be seamless.

Our depo experts put together a few helpful guidelines on how to schedule a court reporter for a deposition in France.

Where can the deposition be taken?
U.S. depositions in France of U.S. citizens can take place at the venue of your choosing, whether that be a hotel, law firm office, conference room, or videoconferencing facility. For U.S. depositions of French citizens and third country nationals, depositions must take place on the Consulate or Embassy premises. We recommend reaching out to us as soon as possible to find the best solution for your deposition if your witness is not a U.S. citizen.

How early should we plan our deposition in France?
If you are deposing a French citizen or third country national, give yourself a minimum of 6 weeks to plan. If the witness is a U.S. citizen the process is relatively quick and can be done within a week.

Options: Should the attorney attend the deposition in person or remotely?
While we always recommend that the reporter be present with the witness, a hybrid approach might be the best solution for the attorney. Several different cost-effective approaches can also be taken.

Optima Juris offers two different types of remote deposition solutions:

Court Reporter with the Witness

Court Reporter NOT with the Witness – The witness, court reporter, and attorneys are all in separate locations. Our certified and trained court reporters will capture a verbatim record of the proceeding using our state-of-the-art technology from a remote location.

Our remote deposition solution also features a virtual deposition assistant from Optima Juris, who will monitor your connection and provide real-time help to ensure a successful deposition connection in any country around the world.

As a leader in international depositions, Optima Juris continues to find new ways to use technology to make international depos easier, more cost-effective, and eliminate the carbon footprint – anywhere on the planet. To schedule your remote depositions or understand all your international deposition options, please contact us. Our deposition experts are available 24/7.

About Optima Juris

Optima Juris is the only U.S. agency exclusively dedicated to international depositions. We have been helping law offices across the globe find the highest-quality certified court reporters, legal videographers, and interpreters for over 23 years. If you should have any questions about international depositions, please do not hesitate to contact us or fill out a free quote to see how we can make your international deposition a complete success.