Do you know why legal transcription has become so popular?
It is one of the fastest-growing transcription services, thanks to all the advantages it offers to its clients.
However, legal transcription can be confused with other terms.
In this article, we clarify the differences with other forms of transcription, what a legal transcriptionist does, and how to select an excellent legal transcription service.
Legal transcription is the act of drafting a document from audio or video recordings of trials, proceedings, depositions, and other legal acts.
A legal transcriptionist is the person responsible for taking those recordings and transforming them into documents where the information is easy to find.
The legal transcriptionist is in charge of delivering these documents, called legal transcriptions, to the clients, companies, or individuals who have requested the service.
To become a legal transcriptionist, you can train at accredited schools, take online courses, and work or do internships at law firms.
There is a high demand for legal transcription services because what they do is perfect for lawyers.
Among other reasons, legal transcription includes timestamps and speaker identification, which makes it easier to follow the data and timeline of events. Lawyers find it easier to ask questions and track relevant facts of a case.
And if it’s a matter of an appeal, legal transcription makes a big difference. Once the records of the first decision are reviewed, it helps explore and establish another type of strategy for a successful appeal.
Additionally, whether legal transcription is printed or digital, the information is always accessible. If it’s in digital format, it’s even easier to find information with just a click.
Furthermore, it is possible to store and organize the information in numerous file formats and devices. And it can be shared quickly and effectively with other lawyers, judges, and stakeholders.
For all these reasons, legal transcription is being used more and more, which means considerable time savings, efficiency, and increased productivity.
Legal transcription and court reporting are essential parts of the legal system. Both are records of events and powerful tools for lawyers.
However, they differ in several aspects, which we show you in the comparative table below.
| Legal transcription vs court report | Legal transcription | Court report |
| Who does it? | Transcription or legal transcriptionist services | Stenographers, also known as court reporters. |
| Where do they work? | In transcription service companies or on a freelance basis | In the court or courtroom |
| What is their function? | Transcribes: depositions, hearings, interrogations, witness interviews, legal meetings, 911 calls, wiretaps and conferences, among other contents. | Is responsible for transcribing court proceedings; as a general rule, every time a judge is present, a court stenographer is used to record live everything that happens. |
| What is the emphasis? | Emphasis on accuracy rather than speed because it works with recordings of events that have already occurred. | Emphasis on being very fast and accurate is challenging because they write a transcript of proceedings in real-time. |
| With which equipment? | Uses the transcription pedal and computer keyboard to pause the recording, transcription and editing software. | Uses a machine called a stenograph that allows them to write and later convert it into text. |
| Particularities | If an audio or video is garbled or blurred, a transcriptionist can do little. | If a court reporter mishears something, they can ask the speakers for clarification. |
| Is certification required? | No | Yes, because they work at the official level |
As you can see, there are differences between a legal transcriptionist and a court reporter; both provide very significant contributions with their recording methods.
The difference between transcription and dictation is fundamental: dictation is a recording created by speaking, and transcription is converting that recording into a written document.
They have several interesting differences, which we detail below.
| Legal transcription vs. dictation | Legal transcription | Dictation |
| What does the process consist of? | The spoken word is converted from audio or video to written text. The legal transcription is done by a person called a transcriptionist or by automatic voice recognition software. | It consists of speaking into a recording device or to a person who writes down what is being said. Once you have finished, you can review the recording or read the notes you have taken. |
| What does each one excel at? | Legal transcription is of higher quality because all the content has been written down. | Dictation is an important time saver because it does not involve typing. |
| What is the level of difficulty? | More difficult because it involves accurately transcribing content | Easier because it does not involve writing |
| How easy is it to use? | They are easier to use, because they are documents that can be scanned, highlighted and easily copied and pasted. | As the dictations are recordings, it is difficult to omit parts and get to the part of the information needed. |
| What does its quality depend on? | The quality is superior because it is done in a professional environment, with qualified people and software with powerful technologies. | Depends on the quality of equipment or device used for dictation. |
Legal transcription and dictation complement each other to obtain the necessary information records for lawyers and legal environments.
If you hire a legal transcription service, lawyers and legal assistants will no longer have to spend time listening to and reviewing audio files to find information.
This will reduce their workload and allow them to be more efficient and productive in more complex tasks.
Additionally, hiring a legal transcription service not only saves time but also money. The average hourly cost of a legal transcription service is lower than that of a legal assistant or lawyer.
Hiring a legal transcription service is your best option. However, when doing so, you need to consider the following:
By considering these aspects, you will choose a professional and high-quality legal transcription service, with good customer service and other attributes that will increase efficiency and productivity.
At ScriptMe, we are an automatic transcription service. We have robust software with which you can upload your files and quickly obtain an accurate legal transcription.
ScriptMe can be customized to work with your existing internal systems. And it has specific dictionaries to ensure our Artificial Intelligence software adapts to and includes legal and technical terms in the field.
Legal transcription services are increasing because they are useful for lawyers, law firms, and other institutions.
Legal transcription saves time and money; when choosing a transcription service, it is essential to consider experience, efficiency, quality, support service, confidentiality, and information security.
Legal transcription is different from court reporting and dictation; at the same time, all are very useful records; with legal transcription, information is super accessible and can be saved and shared quickly.
At ScriptMe we are at your service, contact us and we will be happy to inform you more about the advantages offered by our innovative and cutting-edge technology to carry out your legal transcriptions.
