Top Five Things to Look for When Choosing a Court Reporting Firm

Professionalism

Most of us have heard stories about horrendous experiences with unprofessional court reporters. Anything from court reporters arriving late for depositions, to wearing backward baseball caps and torn jeans, having faulty equipment and even asking to use the opposing attorney’s laptop. You definitely want to look for a firm that provides court reporters that are:
  • On-time
  • Well dressed
  • Prepared with the proper working equipment
  • Aren’t frazzled and stressed
  • Able to state the correct oath and know the difference between an affirmation under oath and swearing under oath
  • Able to complete accurate readbacks
  • Able to maintain confidentiality
  • HIPAA certified

Website

Nowadays, it is imperative for any court reporting firm to have a website that is easy to navigate and informational. The website should not only list the firm’s contact information, services, and competitive rates but also offer its patrons an option to schedule online, log in and upload files, and the ability to chat live with a member of the firm’s team. The site should also the firm’s certifications and credentials, state which groups and associations within the legal community the firm is affiliated with, and also list any awards and/or publications in which the firm has been recognized.

Excellent Customer Service

No one wants to talk to a machine or sit on hold for minutes at a time. The court reporting firm should understand the fast-paced and ever-changing requirements of the legal community and offer actual people who answer the phone 24 hours a day. These people should be friendly and informative and have the ability to schedule last-minute depositions with on-call reporters.

Complete Litigation Support

The court reporting firm should offer services that deal with all aspects of litigation. Time is always of the essence and paralegals and attorneys do not have time to contact a variety of different vendors regarding their litigation needs. The court reporting firm should offer:
  • Conference room schedulings
  • Last minute schedulings
  • The ability to provide court reporters in remote locations and/or different states
  • Interpreters
  • Videographers
  • Videoconferencing
  • Trial Presentation
  • Trial Consulting
  • Legal Copying and Scanning

100% Verifiable Transcripts

Accuracy is a must when it comes to preserving the spoken word. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are definitely a must, but with the advancement of technology syncing the audio and video to the deposition transcript is now a must along with hyperlinked and searchable exhibits.

For over 40 years, NAEGELI Deposition & Trial has been known as the industry’s leading choice for court reporting and litigation support. Call our experienced team today at (800) 528-3335 to witness the NAEGELI advantage: World class service!