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Rule 31.03 Notice of Filing

Rule 31. Depositions Upon Written Questions

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Rule Text

When the deposition is filed the party taking it shall promptly give notice thereof to all other parties. [As amended July 1, 1979.]

Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)

This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.

If you take a deposition using written questions, you have to tell the other parties once it's filed with the court. You can't just file it quietly and move on. The other side needs to know it's been filed so they're aware of what's happening in the case.

This notice has to happen right away. There's no waiting period allowed. The point is to keep everyone informed and give all parties a fair chance to respond or take any next steps they need to take.

Committee Notes

Advisory Commission Comments.

Rule 31 previously designated questions propounded to witnesses thereunder as interrogatories. The terminology has been changed to avoid confusion with Rule 33, which provides for interrogatories to parties. Written questions may be submitted to any witness, whether a party or not, under Rule 31. Rule 33 permits interrogatories to be served upon parties only. [1979.]

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Last updated: August 2026

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