Palais de justice historique de Lyon, France

Objections should be kept to a minimum. The Rules contemplate that
objections should be concise and afford the examiner the opportunity to cure the objection. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(c)(2) (noting that “objection[s] must be stated concisely”); id., Advisory
Committee Notes (1993 Amendments) (noting that “[d]epositions frequently have been unduly  prolonged . . . By lengthy objections and colloquy” and that objections “ordinarily should be  limited to those . . . grounds that might be immediately obviated, removed, or cured, such as to
the form of a question”). Rule 30(c)(2) provides:  

Objections. An objection at the time of the examination—whether
to evidence, to a party’s conduct, to the officer’s qualifications, to  the manner of taking the deposition, or to any other aspect of the  deposition—must be noted on the record, but the examination still  proceeds; the testimony is taken subject to any objection. An  objection must be stated concisely in a nonargumentative and  nonsuggestive manner. A person may instruct a deponent not to  answer only when necessary to preserve a privilege, to enforce a  limitation ordered by the court, or to present a motion under Rule  30(d)(3).  

The Notes to the Advisory Committee for the Amendments of 1993 state that “[w]hile objections
may, under the revised rule, be made during a deposition, they ordinarily should be limited to
those that under Rule 32(d)(3) might be waived if not made at that time, i.e., objections on
grounds that might be immediately obviated, removed, or cured, such as to the form of a  question or the responsiveness of an answer.” Rule 32(d)(3)(A) & (B) state specifically which  objections must be made or waived:  

(A) Objection to Competence, Relevance, or Materiality. An
objection to a deponent’s competence—or to the competence,  relevance, or materiality of testimony—is not waived by a failure  to make the objection before or during the deposition, unless the  ground for it might have been corrected at that time. 

(B) Objection to an Error or Irregularity. An objection to an error
or irregularity at an oral examination is waived if:  

(i) it relates to the manner of taking the deposition, the form of a
question or answer, the oath or affirmation, a party’s conduct, or  other matters that might have been corrected at that time; and  

(ii) it is not timely made during the deposition. [Emphasis Added].

The Rules should be abided by during the course of the deposition.

Form objections. While unspecified “form” objections are certainly concise, they
do nothing to alert the examiner to a question’s alleged defect. Because they lack specificity, “
form” objections do not allow the examiner to immediately cure the objection.  

Permissible objections. If an objection could have been obviated at the time of
the deposition and it is not made, it is deemed waived. The only objection you should make are “insufficient foundation”, “compound”, “argumentative”, “asked and answered,” and “work
product privilege” or “attorney client privilege.” All other objections are available and can be
raised at a later time.
Below is a list of potentially impermissible objections (check your jurisdiction):  

1. Speaking Objections. Speaking objections are not allowed and can draw
sanctions. Your objection needs to be short and concise.  

2. No right to consultation. A witness has no constitutional right to consultation
while testifying. Perry v Leake, 488 US 272 (1989).  

 3. Recesses. It has been held a deponent has no right to consultation during
depositions and during recesses. Hall v Clifton Precision, 150 F.D.R. 525 (E.D. Penn. 1993).  

 
4. Communications during recesses. There is no attorney client or work product
privilege for discussion between attorney and deponent during recesses. You can ask what they
talked about. Id.  

 
5. Questions by Defending Counsel. An attorney cannot state on the record their
interpretation of a question asked. Hall, supra.  

 
6. If you know or if you understand is a speaking objection (coaching). Suggestions such as
“if you know” or “if you understand” are raw unmitigated coaching and never appropriate.
Serrano v Cincinnati Ins. Co., 2012 WL 20871 *4. (Kansas)  

 
7. Calls for speculation. Objections to “speculation” are not form. It’s also
coaching. Serrano, supra.  

 8. Vague Objection. Saying a question is “vague” is improper speaking objection.
Serrano, supra. Likewise, a lawyer cannot object saying he/she didn’t understand the question.
Hall, supra.

 
9. Multiple objections. Rambo-like multiple objections prohibited. In Re
Stratosphere, 182 F.R.D. 614 (D. Nev. 1998).  

10. Excessive number of objections. Excessive number of objections is
sanctionable. Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(d), Committee Notes 1993.