Questions to Ask When Choosing a Legal Transcription Company

Legal transcription outsourcing is a growing trend. Many lawyers, attorneys, legal firms and legal professionals are entrusting their transcription tasks to professional service providers. Outsourcing to the right firm is important to ensure quality results, and to save time and money. As there are many legal transcription companies out there, it is necessary to exercise caution when seeking a service provider. Cost, security, accuracy and quality of work are key factors to consider. Asking the right questions can help you choose the right legal transcription company.

• What is the nature of the transcription service provided? Experienced legal transaction companies can provide transcription for all relevant legal fields such as criminal, civil, real estate, family laws, business and company law. They can provide legal transcription services for audio and video recordings of legal events and activities including briefs, pleadings, hearings, interviews, deposition statements, court proceedings, reports, wire tap, witness statements, memorandums, and much more.

• How are dictations transcribed? Make sure the company offers user-friendly and convenient dictation options such as toll-free number dictation and digital recording. You can then choose the option that is most convenient for you.

• How secure are my documents? The legal transcription company should be able to guarantee the confidentiality of your legal files. It should assure the safe transfer of your documents. It is highly recommended that you check whether the service provider offers options such as secure browser-based file transfer, FTP or encrypted email.

• What is the guaranteed turnaround time? it is important to make sure that the legal transcription services offered can meet your documentation deadlines. So it important to choose a provider that offers quick turnaround time.

• What are the measures in place to ensure accuracy? Your transcription should be done by expert legal transcriptionists, well versed in legal terminology and other related matters. This will ensure accuracy. Reliable service providers would have stringent QA measures in place such as a three-level quality check carried out by proofreaders, editors and subject experts. Such quality checks can ensure accuracy levels of up to 99 percent.

• How cost-effective are the transcription services? The final question should be about the rates. One of the main goals of legal transcription outsourcing is to save costs. Therefore, the services provided should be competitively priced. With a competent service provider, you can save up to 30 to 40 percent on your costs.

Browse the Web and shortlist a few established legal transcription companies. Asking these questions can help you make right choice. Look for a free trial as this is a great way to see if the legal transcription company can meet your expectations.