Philadelphia, PA: Why Philly Litigators Are Zooming into Remote Depositions and Leaving Travel Behind
For litigators in Philadelphia, remote depositions are like the legal version of The Office’s “Pretzel Day”—they save you time, money, and frustration. Whether your case involves a deposition in Scranton or further afield, remote depositions are a must-have tool to streamline your practice. Why spend hours on the road when you can handle it all from your office in Center City, while maybe even getting to enjoy a soft pretzel from Reading Terminal Market?
Philly litigators are recognizing that Zoom depositions are the future—cutting costs, saving time, and making everything more efficient.
Scranton to Philadelphia: Where the Real Cost Savings Start
If you’re a Philadelphia litigator traveling to Scranton for depositions, you’re not just dealing with the logistical headache of planning the trip—you’re also racking up unnecessary expenses. Here’s the breakdown:
Direct Travel Costs – From Philadelphia to Scranton for an In-Person Deposition
Let’s say you’ve got a deposition in Scranton, and you’re stuck making the 260-mile round trip. Here’s what that looks like for your wallet:
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- Mileage: Driving from Philadelphia to Scranton (260 miles round-trip) at $0.67 per mile will cost you about $174
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- Or a round-trip train ticket from Philly to Scranton, plus taxis, parking, and other expenses: $150 to $300
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- Accommodation: Staying overnight in Scranton? Expect to pay around $175 to $250,
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- Meals: Whether you’re grabbing a bite at Alfredo’s Pizza Café (not to be confused with Pizza by Alfredo), meals will set you back another $75 to $125.
By switching to Zoom depositions, you can say goodbye to these costs.
Court Reporter and Additional Fees
In-person depositions also come with extra costs for court reporters and videographers, often ranging from $700 to $900 per hour. Why pay that when you can conduct your deposition virtually for a fraction of the cost?
Indirect Costs: Losing Time Means Losing Money
Driving to Scranton might seem like a small inconvenience, but when you consider the hours spent on the road, the costs start to pile up. Four hours of travel from Philadelphia to Scranton and back could mean losing $500 to $2,000 in billable time. If you’re passing those costs on to your client, you might find yourself having some tough conversations.
With remote depositions, you don’t lose billable hours to travel. Instead, you can focus on what really matters—working on the case.
Expanding the Radius: More Locations, More Savings
While the main savings comparison is between Philadelphia and Scranton, there’s even more cost efficiency when considering other key locations where Philly litigators might need to travel for depositions.
Philadelphia to Allentown, PA
Allentown is a little closer, at around 120 miles round-trip. But even then, you’re still looking at about $80 in mileage and a full day out of the office. Remote depositions let you avoid this headache entirely, giving you more time to focus on what really matters: billable hours and preparing your case..
Philadelphia to Harrisburg, PA
Traveling to the state capital for a deposition? That’s a 210-mile round trip, costing around $141 in mileage, plus potential hotel stays if your deposition runs late. Zoom depositions eliminate the need for this kind of trip, making it easier for you to handle your work from Philly and avoid the inconvenience of driving into a lake.
Why Remote Depositions Are the Best Solution
When you add it all up, the cost of an in-person deposition—whether it’s in Scranton, Allentown, Harrisburg, or beyond—could easily reach $3,000 to $5,000. With Zoom, you’re looking at something closer to $349 per hour. That’s a huge difference and a major opportunity to recover billable hours for other cases.
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- Faster Transcriptions: With AI-driven transcription tools, you can have a rough draft in hours.
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- Smarter Insights: Use AI to search transcripts with natural language queries, uncovering insights that would take you weeks to find.
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- Effortless Video Clips: Need to create a deposition video clip? No problem. Attorneys are doing that over lunch.
The Future is Now for Philly Litigators
If you’re a litigator in Philadelphia, now is the time to embrace remote depositions. They save you money, time, and the headache of travel, all while giving you the chance to focus on what truly matters: your clients and their cases. Think of Zoom depositions as the ultimate way to level up your cases and clients.
Remote depositions are the Pretzel Day of modern legal work—easy, satisfying, and something you won’t want to miss.
Ready to make the switch? Schedule a demo today and see how remote depositions can help you run your legal practice.
