Court Reporting: Real-Time Recommendations

6 August 2018
 Categories: Law, Blog

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Real-time reporting completed by experienced legal court reporters can allow you to depose witnesses no matter where they are in the country. Real-time reports are also visible to assisting counsel at other locations. This can reduce travel expenses, erase schedule delays and permit your cases to be settled faster. However, because real-time might be new to you or your legal peers, it's worth realizing and addressing these possible issues as you arrange your first session.

1-Ask About Requirements

Generally, reporters must ensure your machine and remote computers or tablets have the specifications and ability to download proprietary software and run well during sessions. If you don't really rely on your computers or have not updated them and their operating systems in some time, you must ask what's needed. You may have to upgrade hardware or software and may need different sound cards, microphones or cameras. This should all be settled long before a session can occur.

2-Arrange Machine Access

When you're sure that your devices are modern and updated, access to those devices has to get arranged. This will permit reporters to access or download their software, test mic levels and do other setup tasks. This must happen before the session begins, but you, witnesses and opposing counsel can all permit that access at your own discretion. Notify those in other locations of the need to do this.

3-Set Guidelines

Devices aren't the only things needing prepping. Everyone present for a real-time appointment should understand how the event will unfold and how to behave. During these sessions, you and other attorneys will typically view both video and a live stream of the reporter's notes on your screens. Understand that as words stream in front of you, phonetic errors or misspellings could appear. Don't become excited; the live stream will be gone over in the court reporter's office and a clean report will be provided to all you authorize. However, if you have objections to the bulk of what the reporter is doing, discuss how best to interject.

Anyone speaking during a real-time live stream should also operate under basic guidelines. Cross talk in particular can affect reporting quality; all speakers must know and expect to wait until theirs is the only voice talking before beginning.

With these details, real-time sessions are both productive and empowering. You, witnesses and peers can conduct interactions smoothly. Ask reporters for a sampling of how this could work if you continue to have questions.Contact a service, like brentwood court reporting services, for more help.