From time to time, attorneys need to hire a court reporter for a deposition, court hearing, or trial. But with around 32,000 certified court reporters in the United States, how are you going to select the best court typist possible? If you haven’t chosen a court reporter before, consider the following 3 tips to make sure that you are picking the right court stenographer for your deposition or other legal proceedings.
How Much Experience Does the Court Stenographer Have?
If you need a reliable court reporter to produce a precise and accurate transcription for let’s say a deposition, always ask how many depositions the court typist has performed. Don’t forget to ask for referrals from current or former clients. Plus, do your research online to learn more about the candidates.
Is Your Court Typist a Member of the NCRA?
Did you know that many states require court reporters to pass a state certification test before working in the field? Thus, it is a good idea to make sure the court typist you want to hire is a state certified. If your state does not require state certification, request a court reporter who is a member of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). While this doesn’t necessarily guarantee you are hiring the best court reporter, reporters who hold the NCRA certification are committed to adhering to the highest standards and ethical best practices in the industry.
Ease of Scheduling
‘How much advance time do I need to schedule a stenographer?’ is one of the first questions you should ask. There will certainly be days when you will have only a few hours to schedule a court reporter. That’s why it’s essential that the reporter you choose is available when you need her or him.
Quick tip: Join the Directory by AppearMe — a FREE online database of more than 10.000 expert witnesses and litigation support specialists — and schedule a court reporter quicker and easier than ever before.
It only takes a couple of minutes to start using AppearMe. Download the app for FREE from the App Store or Google Play or visit our website to create an account. Fill out your information and hire your court typist in a few clicks.
Wrapping Things Up…
It is crucially important to find a court reporter that can produce an accurate and the highest-quality transcript, free of errors and delivered in a timely manner. However, not all court reporters are created equal, so it’s important to do a little research before hiring a court stenographer. For instance, AppearMe offers a network of court reporters that meet certain requirements before joining the portal.
With a single account, AppearMe users can also submit and accept appearance, deposition and freelance requests, as well as find expert witnesses and litigation support specialists faster and easier than ever before. AppearMe also helps attorneys refer their cases to other attorneys without processing fees.
Contact us today to learn more about our court reporting services (and not only).
