Court reporters are commonly found in the courtroom, keeping track of everything that is said and done during the trial. They are also needed for certain legal actions that take place outside of the courtroom, such as depositions. A deposition is when testimony is being given in a law firm or even a police station and it is very important that a court reporter is there to document the testimony. Without a court reporter the testimony could be considered invalid. Before hiring a court reporter there are a few questions you should ask to prevent the testimony from being rejected by a court.
1. Ask to see their license. A court reporter has to have a special license in order to do their job and just because they have one doesnt mean its valid. Youll want to see their license and then verify that it is not expired or even revoked. If their license is good you should continue with these questions.
2. Find out if they are available during the date of your deposition. It is a common slip-up to hire someone because they are good at their job and then forget to discuss the date they will be needed to do their job. Make sure that they will be able to go to your deposition. Checking to see if they have a busy schedule that day is also a good idea because if they are busy the rest of the day theres a chance theyll show up late.
3. What is their experience? Depending on the specific situation of the deposition you need the court reporter for you may want to have someone with a lot of experience. Beginners wont know how to deal with unexpected situations like someone who has been doing the job for a while will.
4. Do they speak any other languages? You wont always be getting testimony from someone who speaks English so if your court reporter can speak and write in other languages it could be useful. If you know the language the person giving testimony speaks you can ask in advance if the court reporter is fluent in that language too. Translators are an option if there are no court reporters that can speak the language.
5. What do they charge? Every court reporter will have a different pay rate depending on their level of experience. Some will even be from a company like a court reporting service, which may change the rates. Its important to know what their initial price is and if there is an extra charge if your deposition takes longer than expected.
6. What is their turnaround time? When you get a court reporter chances are your testimony wont be readily available as soon as the deposition is over. It takes a bit of time for them to do the final touches on the transcript so if you are in a rush it is important to know how long it will take to get the final project. Also, see if they can do urgent work upon request. - 29954
1. Ask to see their license. A court reporter has to have a special license in order to do their job and just because they have one doesnt mean its valid. Youll want to see their license and then verify that it is not expired or even revoked. If their license is good you should continue with these questions.
2. Find out if they are available during the date of your deposition. It is a common slip-up to hire someone because they are good at their job and then forget to discuss the date they will be needed to do their job. Make sure that they will be able to go to your deposition. Checking to see if they have a busy schedule that day is also a good idea because if they are busy the rest of the day theres a chance theyll show up late.
3. What is their experience? Depending on the specific situation of the deposition you need the court reporter for you may want to have someone with a lot of experience. Beginners wont know how to deal with unexpected situations like someone who has been doing the job for a while will.
4. Do they speak any other languages? You wont always be getting testimony from someone who speaks English so if your court reporter can speak and write in other languages it could be useful. If you know the language the person giving testimony speaks you can ask in advance if the court reporter is fluent in that language too. Translators are an option if there are no court reporters that can speak the language.
5. What do they charge? Every court reporter will have a different pay rate depending on their level of experience. Some will even be from a company like a court reporting service, which may change the rates. Its important to know what their initial price is and if there is an extra charge if your deposition takes longer than expected.
6. What is their turnaround time? When you get a court reporter chances are your testimony wont be readily available as soon as the deposition is over. It takes a bit of time for them to do the final touches on the transcript so if you are in a rush it is important to know how long it will take to get the final project. Also, see if they can do urgent work upon request. - 29954
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2. Court reporting provides a broad selection of reporting as well as document & case management services to the legal industry, we continually set the standard for court reporter.
