How to Hire a Court Reporter for your Next Deposition

Jan 30
08:32

2009

Mark Etinger

Mark Etinger

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In the course of a busy day, it is easy to forget that you need a court reporter for your upcoming deposition. With that in mind, we offer the following helpful tips for making sure that you get an accurate written record of everything that transpires during the proceedings.

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In the course of a busy day,How to Hire a Court Reporter for your Next Deposition Articles it is easy to forget that you need a court reporter for your upcoming deposition. With that in mind, we offer the following helpful tips for making sure that you get an accurate written record of everything that transpires during the proceedings.

1. Confirm the dates of your deposition. If the actual date of your deposition is still up in the air, then you are not quite ready to hire a court reporter. In order to avoid cancellation fees, or inconvenience the reporter herself, it is best to get the time and date set in stone before placing a call.

2. Reserve your conference room. Inside many law firms the biggest fight isn't over who will be made partner, but rather over valuable conference room space. Make sure that you've got one reserved for the specific date and time of the scheduled deposition.

3. Ask for recommendations. If you are unsure about who to call to get a court reporter to work your deposition, ask other attorneys for a recommendation.

4. Determine if your deposition will take place over more than one day. In order to insure that a qualified court reporter is available for the entire deposition, be sure to determine beforehand whether or not the deposition will conclude in the span of a single day.

5. Ask about bi-lingual court reporters. If there will be languages other than English spoken at the deposition, ask the court reporter (or their service) about the availability of bi-lingual court reporters. If a bilingual reporter is not available for the deposition, you can also hire a translator after the fact to convert the record into another language.

6. Contact a court reporting service. The beauty of a court reporting service is that it takes all the guesswork out of hiring someone to transcribe your deposition. The process couldn't be easier. Simply contact the service online or over the phone and let them know the details of your upcoming deposition. They will let you know who is available, what their experience level is and what you fee will be.

7. Be mindful of the court reporter's time. Try not to keep the court reporter waiting around for long stretches of time before or after the deposition. Just like you, their time is valuable and always needs to be accounted for.

With these tips in mind, the scheduling and execution of your next deposition should go smoothly. Remember that although most court reporting services can send someone to you on short notice, it is always better to book ahead whenever possible.