Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

10 days written notice has to be given and you do not have to be present at the inspection of documents. Ask your attorney; perhaps they are granted a shortened period of time because the other side is co-operating on something else. The major section on depostions follows:

(a) An oral deposition shall be scheduled for a date at

least 10 days after service of the deposition notice.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in an unlawful detainer

action or other proceeding under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section

1159) of Title 3 of Part 3, an oral deposition shall be scheduled for

a date at least five days after service of the deposition notice,

but not later than five days before trial.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), if, as defined in

Section 1985.3 or 1985.6, the party giving notice of the deposition

is a subpoenaing party, and the deponent is a witness commanded by a

deposition subpoena to produce personal records of a consumer or

employment records of an employee, the deposition shall be scheduled

for a date at least 20 days after issuance of that subpoena.

Since the case is going to arbitration, you should also consider the discovery rules written into the civil arbitration statute, which may modify the applicable procedures and time lines. See, for example, Code of Civil Procedure sections 1283 and 1283.05 regarding depositions.