Last amended September 1, 2018 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026
In one sentenceRule 4:104-3 caps each side at 10 depositions and each deponent at 7 hours absent stipulation or court order, counts organizational-deponent testimony toward that cap in 7-hour increments regardless of how many individuals testify, and authorizes sanctions against anyone who impedes or delays a fair examination.
(a)Unless otherwise stipulated by the parties or ordered by the court:
(1)The number of depositions taken by plaintiffs shall be limited to 10. The number of depositions taken by defendants, including third-party defendants, shall also be limited to 10; and
(2)Depositions shall be limited to 7 hours per deponent, excluding breaks. The court must allow additional time consistent with R. 4:10-2(a) and (g) if needed to fairly examine the deponent or if the deponent, another person, or any other circumstance impedes or delays the examination. When multiple parties intend to examine a deponent, they shall agree in advance of the deposition to an allocation of the time allowed for the deposition. If they cannot agree on such an allocation, they shall raise the issue with the court for resolution, and the deposition will be adjourned, if necessary, until after the court has resolved the dispute.
(b)For purposes of assessing compliance with a limitation on the number of depositions, unless the parties stipulate or the court orders otherwise, every seven hours of testimony by witnesses testifying in response to a notice for the testimony of an organization under R. 4:14-2 shall constitute one deposition. For example, if an organization designates three individuals to testify in response to a R. 4:14-2 notice and the three individuals testify for a total of 14 hours, the deposition testimony shall count as two depositions. Alternatively, if two individuals are designated in response to a R. 4:14-2 notice and testify for a total of 21 hours, their testimony shall count as three depositions.
(c)The court may impose an appropriate sanction — including the reasonable expenses and attorney’s fees incurred by any party — on a person who impedes, delays, or frustrates the fair examination of the deponent.
Amendment History
New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “History” note beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; the “R.R.” citations refer to the former Revised Rules numbering the current rules replaced.
Adopted July 27, 2018 to be effective September 1, 2018.
Plain-English Summary
Depositions in a CBLP case run on a budget. Absent a stipulation or court order, plaintiffs get 10 depositions total, and defendants (including third-party defendants) get 10 of their own, with each deponent capped at 7 hours excluding breaks. The court has to allow more time when the examination's fairness requires it or when something — the deponent, another person, or circumstances — impedes or delays the examination, and when several parties want to examine the same witness, they need to agree in advance on how to split the time, or take the dispute to the court, adjourning the deposition if necessary until it's resolved.
Testimony from an organization's designated witnesses under R. 4:14-2 counts toward the limit in seven-hour blocks regardless of how many individuals appear — three witnesses testifying a combined 14 hours count as two depositions, while two witnesses testifying a combined 21 hours count as three. Anyone who impedes, delays, or frustrates a fair examination can be sanctioned, including an order to cover the other side's reasonable expenses and attorney's fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many depositions is each side allowed in a CBLP case?
10 for plaintiffs and 10 for defendants (including third-party defendants), absent a stipulation or court order allowing more.
How is deposition time counted when an organization designates multiple witnesses under R. 4:14-2?
Every seven hours of combined testimony counts as one deposition, regardless of how many individuals testify.
Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the
official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:104-3). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey (N.J. Const. art. VI, § 2, ¶ 3). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 7, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:CBLP deposition limitsdeposition hours limit