What can you ask in interrogatories?
Asked by: Declan Kassulke | Last update: January 6, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (17 votes)
You can use interrogatories to find out facts about a case but they cannot be used for questions that draw a legal conclusion.
What questions can be asked in interrogatories?
Interrogatories are written questions sent by one party in a lawsuit to another party in that same suit, which the responding party must answer under penalty of perjury. Interrogatories allow the parties to ask who, what, when, where and why questions, making them a good method for obtaining new information.
What are the six basic questions to be answered in a report are called the interrogatories?
Final answer:
The six basic interrogatory or investigative questions are Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. They are the fundamental questions designed to gather complete information about a subject matter.
What is included in interrogatories?
Definition: Written questions submitted to a party from his or her adversary to ascertain answers that are prepared in writing and signed under oath and that have relevance to the issues in a lawsuit.
How many questions can you ask in interrogatories?
How many questions can I ask? If your case is a limited civil case ($35,000 or less) you can request up to a total of 35 combined request for admissions, form interrogatories , special interrogatories, and requests for production.
What Do I Have to Answer Interrogatory Questions?
What can you not ask in interrogatories?
Interrogatories are lists of questions sent to the other party that s/he must respond to in writing. You can use interrogatories to find out facts about a case but they cannot be used for questions that draw a legal conclusion.
What are the tips for interrogatories?
Read each question (interrogatory) very carefully. Answer only the question that is asked, and avoid the temptation to over-explain your answer. If the question contains several parts, you may break your answer into parts as well. It is also possible that you might object to the question.
Why do I have to answer interrogatories?
You have to respond to interrogatories in writing to the best of your ability. If you do not answer an interrogatory question, and then the other side learns that you did in fact know the answer, it could have a negative impact on your case at trial.
What type of information is most effectively obtained by interrogatories?
Interrogatories are often preferable to depositions for identi- fying such things as witnesses, documents, the dates and sub- stance of transactions and conversations,3 since a deponent may easily forget or overlook relevant information when an- swering such questions.
What are objections to discovery interrogatories?
- The request is impermissibly compound. ...
- The request is vague, ambiguous or unintelligible. ...
- The request is not reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of relevant, admissible evidence. ...
- Introduction to Discovery – Part 5: Responding to Form Interrogatories.
What are acceptable responses to interrogatories?
Your answers to the interrogatories should usually be short, clear, and direct and should answer only the question that is being asked. This is not the time to set out your entire case or defense to the other side. Take the time to make sure your answers are correct and truthful.
What are the 6 W questions?
- Who? Who wrote/created this information, and who are they in terms of this information and in this context? ...
- What? What is the source? ...
- When? When was this information gathered, posted, or published? ...
- Where? Where (a physical place or otherwise) was the information gathered, posted, or published? ...
- Why? ...
- How?
What happens after interrogatories are answered?
What Happens Once You Receive an Interrogatory? All of the questions must be responded to in writing and it must be done under oath. Often, once you answer the questions, the other side will use the answers to gather more information.
How to draft good interrogatories?
- Brainstorm questions to include in your interrogatories.
- Identify questions that are relevant to the issues in the case.
- Consider if the questions are legally permissible.
- Make sure the questions are direct, specific, and clear.
- Decide if the questions will help you gain any necessary information.
What happens if someone doesn't answer interrogatories?
If the opposing side does not respond to your form interrogatories, special interrogatories, or request for production, you may file a motion seeking an order compelling the opposing party to respond.
Are interrogatories hearsay?
Answering Each Interrogatory
They can be used at the summary judgment stage, in pretrial motions and hearings, and/or at trial. Answers to interrogatories are signed under oath, and are not considered hearsay, because they constitute a statement by the party opponent.
How detailed should interrogatories be?
Interrogatories should be brief, simple, particularized, unambiguous, and capable of being understood by jurors when read in conjunction with the answer. They should not be argumentative nor should they impose unreasonable burdens on the responding party.
Can interrogatories be used as evidence?
Interrogatories and depositions allow attorneys to gather information and question potential witnesses. They both result in documents that can be introduced as evidence and to impeach witnesses during trial.
What is the rule of 35 interrogatories?
(b) Except as provided in Section 2030.070, no party shall, as a matter of right, propound to any other party more than 35 specially prepared interrogatories. If the initial set of interrogatories does not exhaust this limit, the balance may be propounded in subsequent sets.
What happens if you lie on an interrogatory?
The Dangers of Lying on Interrogatories
When the truth is discovered, the judge may impose a fine, assign additional litigation costs, or dismiss the case entirely if it was brought by the party who provided false information.
Can interrogatories ask for legal conclusions?
An interrogatory asking for a legal conclusion is allowed. But there are situations where it makes sense to object to an interrogatory on the ground that it asks for a legal conclusion.
How do I deny interrogatories?
You need to be clear in your objections or risk waving them. Federal Rule 33(b)(4) emphasizes that the “grounds for objecting to an interrogatory must be stated with specificity. Any ground not stated in a timely objection is waived unless the court, for good cause, excuses the failure.”
What to ask in interrogatories?
Interrogatories may also be useful to define what an adversary's claims or defenses are. To that end, a party may ask an opponent to identify each fact that supports its claims or each instance of misconduct that it alleges.
How to answer interrogatories when you don't know the answer?
If you are unable to answer a specific question because you don't know or don't have access to the appropriate information, you must indicate the reasons. You may refer to a previous response when responding to an interrogatory providing the previous response sufficiently answers the later interrogatory.
How many questions can be asked in an interrogatory?
Court rules usually limit the number of questions included in an interrogatory. For example, under Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure , each party may only ask the other party 25 interrogatory questions, unless the court permits them to ask more.