Court reporters offer an invaluable service for legal institutions and for attorneys who rely on accurate transcriptions of proceedings. It can be a challenging process to search for a court reporter, especially for legal professionals new to the process in a particular jurisdiction or who don’t know much about the venue. In the absence of a professional network you can rely on for a word-of-mouth referral, you have to use objective criteria to find the right person. Going to court can be a confusing time, there is a load of things that need to be sorted alongside getting a court reporter. For example you might need to use a process service (such as one provided by someone like the Colorado Springs Process Server).
Lawyers assess several key factors when deciding on a court reporter. This kind of analysis is essential, as the role of a court reporter is complex and attorneys need to rely on those services in order to safeguard the welfare of their clients. The welfare of clients is of the highest importance to attorneys like Bley & Evans, they need to make sure that everything going on, is happening in a fair and impartial environment to get the best result they can from the proceedings. Consider these criteria when searching for a new court reporter for your next deposition or trial.
Certifications and Training Matter
Court reporters provide the only record of depositions and trial proceedings. They document the gestures and actions of speakers using stenography equipment. At the conclusion of events, they edit for typographical errors, ensuring the record is accurate and reliable. However, a full-service legal service can provide more sophisticated services, like video depositions.
Because court reporters must have a general understanding of the legal environment, they are trained in legal terminology and procedures. Many states require court reporters to have a license. Additionally, most court reporters are members of the National Court Reporters Association, adhering to a code of ethics and committing to provide unbiased and accurate reporting. Magna court reporters are also experts in particular subject matter, meaning they’ll be up-to-date on all of the latest terminologies and issues regarding your particular field of law.
Hiring a trained and certified court reporter gives attorneys peace of mind that an important word won’t be missed or incorrectly transcribed. When a deposition is used in court or transcript used for an appeal, there will be no debate as to whether the court reporter made a mistake.
When searching for court reporters, ask about their training and confirm that they are NCRA certified. Certifications through the NCRA are verified independently and continuously updated. The organization provides continuing education programs and services to ensure its members are able to meet the high standards required of attorneys and courts across the country.
How Will Depositions Be Recorded?
Attorneys refer to legal records for varied kinds of information. Often, a written transcript can only reveal part of what’s important in a piece of testimony. Gestures, hesitations, body language and other visual cues are mostly missing from text-based transcription. Legal experts and layman observers agree that visual information is often crucial to gain a greater understanding of what was said and thereby the legal argument.