You can use interrogatories to find out facts about a case but they cannot be used for questions that draw a legal conclusion.
Standard Timeframe in NY: Under NY CPLR 3130, a party may serve written interrogatories upon another party after the commencement of an action. Typically, the recipient has 30 days from the date of service to respond.
If you don't respond within the time given, the opposing party may file a motion to compel your compliance with the court.
Service of interrogatories. After commencement of an action, any party may serve written interrogatories upon any other party. Interrogatories may not be served upon a defendant before that defendant's time for serving a responsive pleading has expired, except by leave of court granted with or without notice.
A photocopy of your form interrogatories must be served on the attorney for the responding party or directly to the responding party if he or she is self-represented (in pro per). Courtesy copies should be served on all other attorneys or self-represented parties in the case.
Use Form Interrogatories to request information. Use Form Interrogatories when you want to gather information from the other side by having them answer questions from a list on a form, and swear under oath that the answers are true.
(g) If you are asserting a privilege or making an objection to an interrogatory, you must specifically assert the privilege or state the objection in your written response. (h) Your answers to these interrogatories must be verified, dated, and signed.
Interrogatories allow the parties to ask who, what, when, where and why questions, making them a good method for obtaining new information in a case. There are two types of interrogatories: form interrogatories and special interrogatories.
Unlike form interrogatories that focus on common questions, special interrogatories concentrate on specific questions that help obtain specific information about the case. The party must craft specific questions to establish a point that the other party must prove or disprove.
Interrogatories allow the parties to ask who, what, when, where and why questions, making them a good method for obtaining new information.