(a) The questions to be propounded to the deponent by direct examination shall accompany the notice of a written deposition.
§ 2028.030.030
Title 4. Civil Discovery Act · Chapter 11. Deposition by Written Questions · Enacted 2004 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 2028.030 requires the direct examination questions to accompany the written-deposition notice, then sets sequential 30-day, 15-day, and 15-day deadlines for serving cross, redirect, and recross questions, subject to a court's extension or shortening of those periods for good cause.
Full Text of § 2028.030
(b) Within 30 days after the deposition notice and questions are served, a party shall serve any cross questions on all other parties entitled to notice of the deposition.
(c) Within 15 days after being served with cross questions, a party shall serve any redirect questions on all other parties entitled to notice of the deposition.
(d) Within 15 days after being served with redirect questions, a party shall serve any recross questions on all other parties entitled to notice of the deposition.
(e) The court may, for good cause shown, extend or shorten the time periods for the interchange of cross, redirect, and recross questions.
Plain-English Summary
A written deposition replaces live back-and-forth questioning with a scripted, sequential exchange, and this section lays out that sequence. The party taking the deposition serves the direct examination questions along with the notice itself, so every other party knows from the start exactly what the deponent will be asked. From there, the timeline runs in stages: any party wanting to ask cross questions has 30 days after the notice and questions are served to serve them on everyone else entitled to notice.
The remaining rounds move faster. A party wanting to serve redirect questions has 15 days after being served with cross questions to do so, and a party wanting to serve recross questions has another 15 days after being served with redirect questions. None of these deadlines are fixed in stone; on a showing of good cause, the court can extend or shorten any of them, giving flexibility when a case's schedule doesn't fit the default timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
When must the direct examination questions be served in a written deposition?
They accompany the deposition notice itself, so all parties see the direct questions from the outset.
How long does a party have to serve cross questions after the notice and direct questions are served?
30 days.
What are the deadlines for redirect and recross questions?
15 days after service of cross questions for redirect questions, and 15 days after service of redirect questions for recross questions.
Can these deadlines be changed?
Yes. The court may extend or shorten any of the time periods for good cause shown.
Amendment History
(Added by Stats.2004, c. 182 (A.B.3081), § 23, operative July 1, 2005.)
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the West's Annotated California Codes / Thomson Reuters. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: cross redirect recross questions deadlineswritten deposition question timeline