Aside from the standard requirements you may be seeking from a transcription service, those in the legal field often have specific requests of a potential transcription provider. Sure, accuracy and quality of service are must-haves, but when you're shopping around for a new transcription company, the following questions should be at the front your mind:

1. What's Your Average Turnaround Time?
Whether it's a few hours to a few days, the need for express service in the legal world doesn't just ensure compliance it can have a dramatic impact on the outcome of your case. Beware of firms that leave open-ended turnaround times, as this can signal delays in your project.

2. What are Your Security and Confidentiality Policies?
Due to the sensitive nature of these materials, it's important to find a transcription provider who is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Should your case pertain to medical records, ask for a written statement describing their HIPAA compliance. You should also ask the provider to disperse multiple projects related to your case to several transcribers so a single transcriber won't have access to multiple files from the same case. Furthermore, technical security requirements such as SSL, VPN, and encryption standards should be asked before sending over any materials.

3. What if I Need to Scale Up Quickly?
Should your practice take on multiple new clients very quickly, it's important to have a transcription partner that can quickly and easily scale up to accommodate a wave of new projects without delay or hesitation. If you're considering a firm for future projects and are using them for a test case to begin, ask at the outset regarding the estimated number of projects they can produce over a given time period, their capacity for phone calls, and how larger-scale document delivery will be handled going forward.

4. Do Your Transcribers Have any Legal Experience?
If the firm has experience working in the legal field, ask for references from previous clients. It's important that the transcription company employs typists with previous experience working with legal terminology and formatting in addition to being familiar and comfortable with the confidential nature of the work.

5. What's the Setup Process Like?
Before moving your transcription services to a new provider, ensure they have a clear and streamlined game plan for taking on your law firm's projects. Asking about contracts, setup times, timelines for initial projects, and any additional fees you might incur while making the switch to the new provider. While most transcription services don't have setup fees, it's important to ask at the outset rather than be surprised when it comes time to invoice.

For specialized transcription services to match the requirements of law firms at every size and scale, Transcription Hub continues to be the go-to provider for fast, precise transcriptions of legal depositions, evidence, and recordings of meetings and interviews. For a free quote or to learn more about our services, visit Transcription Hub today.