Why You Should Hire A Court Reporter Instead Of A Transcriptionist

As a legal professional, you probably understand the immense importance of having reports of the happenings in a court room, regardless of if you are dealing with a deposition, criminal trial, civil suit or other situation. However, one thing that you might be unsure about is whether you should hire a court reporter or a transcriptionist. On the surface, their jobs might seem very similar -- both are given the responsibility to type out the words and happenings that occur in a court room. However, there are a few reasons why you might want to hire a full service court reporting company instead of a transcriptionist. These are a few of the main benefits.

Court Reporters Understand the Legal System

Transcriptionists often work in many different fields. These professionals simply have to have a good ear and fast typing speeds, and they often do many different types of jobs in the course of a week. For example, they might transcribe something for a physician the day before they handle your legal documents.

Although this might work for certain things, it's often better to hire a court reporter that has experience in the legal field. Someone who specializes in court reporting rather than transcribing a lot of different things will probably have a more solid understanding of proper formatting, legal terms and other aspects of the industry.

Get Documentation Right Away

Another benefit of hiring a court reporter is the fact that you can receive documentation from the day's events in court right away. A court reporter generally works in the court room and takes down notes throughout the hearing or court case, so this documentation will be available to you as soon as court adjourns for the day or as soon as the hearing is over. A transcriptionist, on the other hand, might work from home to get the job done. Although you can still get the documentation relatively quickly, you probably won't have it nearly as fast.

Enjoy Other Services

Another benefit of hiring a court reporter is the fact that you can enjoy other services. For example, some of these companies offer exhibit handling, which means that the court reporter will keep track of documents, posters and other exhibits that you need. Transcriptionists only offer one service, so if you need a little more help while you're in court, a court reporter could be a better choice.

As you can see, hiring a court reporter can be a much better option than hiring a transcriptionist. Next time that you need help with one of these things, consider contacting a company that offers full service court reporting for assistance while you're handling your legal case.