Can I be present at depositions in my own case?

This surprises nearly everyone, and it feels wrong the first time you hear it.

Florida's discovery rule provides that a defendant shall not be physically present at a deposition except on stipulation of the parties, or where the court orders presence on a showing of good cause.

The reasoning relates to witness intimidation concerns, particularly with victims and civilian witnesses.

What that means practically. Your attorney takes the deposition; you don't attend. You receive the transcript afterward and can review it in detail.

That's not the disadvantage it sounds like. Reading a transcript carefully afterward is frequently more useful than sitting through the questioning — and your notes on what a witness got wrong are the material your attorney uses next.

Where presence genuinely matters, counsel can seek a stipulation or move for an order on good cause. That's worth raising in specific cases rather than assuming it's impossible.