Rule 5.3 Depositions Upon Oral Examination-Duration

A deposition is a question-and-answer session held outside of court where a witness answers questions under oath. Under this rule, that session can only last one day, with a maximum of seven hours of actual questioning time.

However, if seven hours is not enough time to fairly question the witness, a judge can allow more time. This might happen if the witness is being uncooperative, if something keeps interrupting the session, or if the case simply requires more questions than can fit into one day. Both sides can also agree on their own to allow more time without asking the judge.