Stamford Family Law Blog

Wealthy Connecticut couples often have to struggle with dividing large amounts of assets when divorcing. Different amounts for alimony and child support may have been awarded. But the massive amount of child support that supermodel Linda Evangelista is seeking from her child's billionaire father has many people -- experts and others -- wondering if she'll be able to pull it off.

According to documents, Evangelista is requesting $46,000 per month in child support. If the amount is approved, this means that their 5-year-old son will receive $1,500 each day. This equates to $807,000 each year, much more than the annual income of most people.

Carefully listen to the question asked; carefully answer it.

Your Connecticut personal injury attorney will advise you that your deposition testimony is not a casual conversation, and you should not treat it as such.

Unlike everyday conversations, where we all may speak without anticipating what the questioner actually asked, and perhaps interrupt or speak before we think, the deposition becomes the legal record for your case. Therefore, every word is important.

Initially, do not anticipate what the question will be. If you do so, and the question is different than anticipated, you may answer the question you thought would be asked. Thus, you might provide incorrect or incomplete information.

Listen carefully to the question. If you do not fully understand it, ask for clarification.

After you fully understand the question, take your time. Think about it. Gather your thoughts. Your answer is important.

A Connecticut personal injury attorney may advise you to think of your deposition testimony more like a written response than an oral response. Most of us are far more likely to be precise and consider what we write than what we say.

This is precisely the approach you should take at a deposition.

Answer only what you have been asked, and do not volunteer anything more.

All of us will typically engage in conversation in any circumstance where two people have a dialogue. This means that many of us will offer more information than is specifically asked for by a question posed by opposing counsel in a deposition.

If you do so in a deposition, you may offer information that will not be in your best interest. A Connecticut personal injury attorney will advise you to limit your response to the question asked. If more is required, you will be asked follow-up questions.

It is far better to be reticent in your responses than to offer too much.

If you are considering filing a personal injury claim, do not hesitate to contact the experienced Connecticut personal injury attorneys at Piazza, Simmons & Grant today for a free consultation.

It can be extremely challenging for a Connecticut personal injury lawyer to take a deposition if the opposing attorney constantly raises objections. The objections disturb the rhythm of the deposition, distract from the substance of the testimony, unnerve the witness, and essentially block any attempt to obtain meaningful discovery.

It's a good idea for the lawyers to stipulate before the deposition that the parties do not give up any objections about relevancy, competency, or materiality by not asserting them during the deposition. This is in keeping with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 31. The lawyers should agree that only objections about form or foundation should be made during the deposition so the lawyer taking the deposition can correct any defect. Objections should be courteous and understated, and the objecting lawyer should instruct the witness that he or she may still answer the question. A skillful Connecticut personal injury lawyer should not permit the defense lawyer to object too often, even on these limited grounds.

If the defense lawyer still constantly interposes objections, and it seems that the objections are intended only for obstruction, your Connecticut personal injury lawyer should make the following statement:

"Mr. Defense Lawyer, you have objected to every one of my last twenty questions. You are aware that you do not give up any objections about relevancy, competency, or materiality by not stating them during the deposition. I will stipulate that you have an ongoing objection, and at trial I will not argue that you have given up those objections. Your objection is recorded in the transcript, and I am asking you to cease disrupting the deposition. I am confident that my questions are acceptable as to form and foundation, and you will have plenty of time to object if I use this deposition at trial. I promise that I will give you equal respect when you take a deposition."

If you are suffering from an injury, seek advice from experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyers Piazza, Simmons & Grant.. The initial consultation is free.

Prior to a claims adjuster inquiring about specific items in a given claim, he or she will first take into account whether or not the policy even applies to the case. If it does, he or she will need to consider to what extent it applies. Once that has been done, the adjuster will ask about whatever he or she deems important with respect to resolving the matter in terms of dollars and cents.

Generally, insurance adjusters will ask about anything that does not fit based on all the facts and conditions as presented. Consequently, depending on the training and experience of the adjuster (as well as his or her judgment), he or she will investigate whatever he or she cannot explain or understand, along with anything that appears to be suspicious. If this happens, it will be much more difficult for your Connecticut personal injury lawyer to resolve your case to the point of a satisfactory outcome.

Some of the red flags that adjusters look for (beyond his or her feelings for the overall situation) include certain things like whether or not treatment is supported by the medical reports if a detailed listing of medical expenses is presented; the types of doctors who are currently or who have in the past treated the claimant; the amount and regularity of treatment; soft-tissue injuries that are accompanied by claims of chronic pain and disability with little to no medical findings to back them up; medical bills that are disproportionate to the injury claimed; and treatments that are not indicated by the type of injury being claimed.

Additional red flags include possible collusion between certain attorneys and doctors who refer clients and patients to one another. Adjusters will tend to heavily scrutinize that physician's records and will likely give his or her opinions and bills much less credibility. Also, if a plaintiff's attorney is widely-known for using a particular doctor on a regular basis, the client being treated will be looked at very closely. Moreover, an independent medical exam will probably be requested, even if it seems that it would not be used in the type of case involved.

If you need a skilled Connecticut personal injury lawyer, please call the office of Piazza, Simmons & Grant for a free consultation.