Guide to Legal Transcription Services

Legal transcribers take oral dictation from legal professionals and provide accurate and timely transcripts in the form of electronic or printed documents. Transcription projects include depositions, interrogatories, testimonies, interviews, phone calls, pleadings, trial proceedings, training sessions, legal discussions and more. A variety of legal professionals use legal transcription, including attorneys, law firms, public defender and prosecutor offices.

There are a huge variety of legal transcription and legal coding services available. With the convenience of the Internet, most of these services are at your fingertips. The goal is to partner with a cost-effective company that offers fast, reliable service. If possible, you should partner with a few transcription companies, just in case you cannot get a required turnaround on a time-sensitive job.

When choosing a legal transcription services, be sure of the following:

1. Make sure each company guarantees the confidentiality of your information and provides secure transfer of your data.

2. Transcribers are often trained legal secretaries, paralegals or other experienced professionals. Some companies provide training to meet personal guidelines. Don't be afraid to ask about a transcriber's experience and qualifications.

3. Find out whether your legal transcription candidates offer a free trial period to demonstrate the quality of their work.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get referrals for legal transcription companies

The best way to find a reliable resource is through a referral from a trusted associate. When making inquiries, ask about cost, document security, confidentiality of information and speed of turnaround. Add any associate referrals to a list of your own chosen companies until you have about 5 or 6 companies for prices and service comparisons.

I recommend: BuyerZone offers a type of brokerage service. They can provide free price quote comparisons for your review. VendorSeek.com offers up to 5 free quotes on legal transcription services.

Find out which file formats a legal transcription service uses

Most transcription services require that you to use a digital voice recorder or computer recording to save the date, then upload the file via the Internet using a secured service. Some companies may provide the recorder or access to an 800 number as part of their services. You can then convert the file to MP3 format and email it, or send it to a secure site. Digital legal transcription is faster and cheaper than mailing files. Just make sure you are provide them a media they can use.

I recommend: Net Transcripts and their list of FAQs offers an extensive guide to what file formats are being used for transcription services. The 24 Hour Secretary is a company that lets you upload digital files for transcription at all hours of the day or night.

Find out the true cost of a legal transcription service before you get started

Legal transcription rates vary by company and depend on the size and quality of your project. Some companies charge by the line, some by the length of your recording. Additionally, the style of transcription you request makes a difference. For instance, a you might ask for a verbatim transcription, a "word-for-word" document recommended for legal purposes. You might ask for clarity, and have the transcriber remove "um's" and "ah's." You can even ask for a grammatically correct transcription, where colloquial language is replaced.

I recommend: Consider Huseby Inc. and Legal Language Services  for legal transcription and legal coding services.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Most providers of legal transcription services train their legal transcribers to follow client guidelines and formats. They recognize legal terminology and usually have to pass speed and efficiency tests before they are hired as contractors. Don't be afraid to ask how well a company's legal transcriber is trained.

The official source of Legal Transcription Services is
the Legal Transcription Services page at Business.com