Top Six Questions You Should Ask When Hiring Court Reporters

1
Top Six Questions You Should Ask When Hiring
Court Reporters

• ByElizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC

2

• Court Reporters are an indispensable resource
  that provides real-time access to the transcript
  of depositions, hearings, or trial proceedings.
  With time, you may require the help of court
  reporters for your legal proceedings. So, its
  important that you find one who is both brilliant
  and honest. But, how?

3

• To help you out, heres a list of questions you
  should ask when appointing a right court
  reporting firm.

• What all certifications and training do you
  possess?
• Everyone wishes to hire a court reporter that is
  expert in the relative field. Make sure that the
  court reporter that will be appointed for your
  proceeding holds a state certification. In case
  your law reporter does not have one, check for
  NCRA (National Court Reporters Association)
  certification. Its similar to state
  certification.

4

• How much amount youll charge? Whats included in
  it?
• Before appointing your ideal court reporter,
  dont forget to inquire the details of rates and
  fees that the reporter will charge from you.
  Also, ask about what all are included in these
  rates. Its always good to ask for the appearance
  fees and standard page rates of the stenographer.
  Consult two or more potential law reporters in
  order to compare their prices and choose the
  better one.

5

• Appoint one that does not dig a hole in your
  pockets.

6

• What prior experience do you have?
• It may be possible that you hire someone that has
  lately finished his/her training in this field.
  So, its always advisable to hire somebody that
  holds a prior experience. Ask them to provide you
  with their transcripts that theyve recently
  prepared. It is important to employ someone that
  is proficient in handling your proceeding.

7

• Does your firm provide video conferencing or
  video depositions?
• Many Georgia court reporters provide you with the
  facility of video depositions or video
  conferencing. This technology is cost-effective
  and augments the overall efficiency of legal
  proceedings. The court reporters either have a
  qualified videographer on staff or work with one
  in their region that they can plan for you.
  Ensure that they test all connections before the
  videoconference session to guarantee flawless
  connectivity on the actual event time.

8

• How long youll take to give my transcript?
• The potential court reporters usually inform you
  about the normal turn-around time that theyll
  take for generating the required transcript. Make
  sure that you ask for expedited transcripts.
  Always consult more than one court reporter
  before hiring. Because different reporters charge
  differently depending upon the length of time
  they are given to generate the script.
• Ask if the court reporters are able to offer
  transcripts on an expedited or rush basis if
  required.

9

• Do you offer rough draft services?
• Inquire if the court reporter in Georgia offers
  rough draft transcripts. The rough draft is an
  unaltered transcript that you obtain upon
  completion of the deposition or soon after. These
  drafts allow you to continue preparing your case
  even before the conclusion of the official
  transcript. It is more cost-effective option than
  a finalized rush transcript.

10

• The Last Word

• Court Reporters are important to you and your
  clientele. So, choosing the right one is your
  utmost priority. Asking the above questions will
  definitely help you to appoint a perfect court
  reporter.

• Choosing a court reporter is a task that you
  should not take lightly.

11
Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC
12
THANKS