Default limit on the number of depositions, unless agreed or court petition?

• A. Ten
• B. Fifteen
• C. Twenty
• D. Twenty-Five

Answer: (A)

In federal civil procedure, there is a default cap on how many depositions a party may conduct without special permission: ten depositions per party. This limit applies to all depositions you conduct for that party, including those of nonparty witnesses.

If you need to depose more than ten, you must obtain leave of court or secure agreement from all parties to increase the limit. In practice, you file a motion showing good cause for why additional depositions are necessary, or you and the other parties stipulate to a higher number. The idea is to prevent overlong or fishing-type discovery, while still allowing flexibility if the case requires more testimony.

So, the default limit is ten, with the possibility to exceed only by mutual agreement or by court permission.