The decision to try legal transcription is entirely up to you and your law firm. But considering its growth over the last two years, we feel it’s safe to say the legal industry approves.
The US court system has experienced a tsunami of backlogged cases and demand since the pandemic, and lawyers have scrambled to keep up. Many have turned to tech as the answer to their problems. Outsourcing legal support has become increasingly common place.
Legal Transcription is one area of legal tech that promises to bring more efficiency to creating and maintaining accurate records.
What is Legal Outsourcing?
Legal outsourcing is hiring an outside company to perform a task or function previously taken care of within your firm. Thanks to modern advancements, law firms can now immediately hire a legal transcription company and access deposition transcription, court transcription, and law enforcement transcription, among other services.
What Does a Legal Transcription Company Do?
A legal transcription company transforms your audio and video files into searchable texts, reducing the in-house workload and allowing your team to focus on more important work. Moreover, with the right transcription company, law firms can increase their billable hours and reduce legal burnout.
But the question is: How many lawyers and firms will finally embrace legal outsourcing? Well, this depends on how many are willing to learn about these services and move beyond the outdated methods.
Benefits of Retaining a Legal Transcription Company
If you’re a law firm or attorney looking to outsource legal transcription, you are likely asking: How much can it help? What are the risks? So let’s take a look at the benefits of hiring a legal transcription company.
Maintain Accurate Records
By outsourcing transcription, lawyers can ensure that they have accurate and complete transcripts of all their meetings and court proceedings. These records can help to avoid potential billing disputes down the road, and they’ll also help you strengthen your case.
In an interview with Christian Santos, Project Manager of LexTranscribe, we learned that a legal transcription company offers transcripts that are much more accurate than court reporters.
He stated, “We’re proud to offer 99% accuracy. That’s much higher than traditional court reporters, and all thanks to our network of native English speakers who have years of experience in the US court system and state-of-the-art tech.”
Flexibility
The ideal legal transcription agency also offers tailored services, such as rush transcription, video captioning, and access to translation services, so lawyers can get everything they need in one place. Further reducing the workload by allowing them to pay a quick retainer fee and always have them on hand at the click of a button.
Reduce Legal Burnout
Bloomberg Law surveyed 614 in-house and law firm attorneys. Respondents reported feeling burned out at least 52% of the time. We’re sure none of the above lawyers enjoyed pouring over mounds of paperwork to find that one quote from a witness or expert that will prove their case.
Transcription can help reduce legal burnout by allowing them to not worry about taking notes or transcribing them later. As a result, they have more time to rest and relax, which will ultimately lead to a reduction in legal burnout.
Focus on Higher Value Work
This time saved also allows them and their paralegals to focus on higher-value work, like research and constructing their argument. Of course, with the increased demands on law firms and the court system as a whole, more time is always a valuable commodity.
Cost-effective
When you outsource legal transcription, you can save a significant amount of money on overhead costs associated with maintaining an in-house staff. In addition, you can avoid the need to purchase expensive transcription equipment and software.
Increase Billable Hours
The 2019 Legal Trends Report stated that “ the average utilization rate for lawyers in the United States in 2018 was just 31 percent.” This translates to billing just 2.5 hours per day if you use the 8-hour workday model.
Bloomberg’s recent report shows that law firms bill 156 fewer hours compared to just a decade ago. This number is staggering when you consider the increased workload and pressure lawyers have faced in recent years due to the pandemic and sociopolitical climate.
With more time dedicated to high-value work and less time spent listening to videos and audio, lawyers can start putting those hours to the case at hand and recording them on the invoice, instead of taking a loss.
Selecting the Right Legal Transcription Company
But before hiring just any legal transcription company, you should take time to consider their experience in the language industry. Many off voice-to-text or machine transcription, and that’s not what you want. You need real native transcribers who work in tandem with technology to save money and time.
Look at Customer Reviews
First and foremost, read customer reviews. They are a valuable source for understanding the company. Specifically, look for mentions of accuracy, speed, reliability, and communication. If past customers haven’t had the best experience, chances are that you won’t either.
Ask About Their Experience
Make sure the legal transcription company you choose has experience in the legal industry. Some agencies offer legal transcription but have never actually transcribed any type of legal audio or video. They should be able to provide you with some samples of their work, or at the very least, discuss their experience in detail.
Ask Yourself: What do they offer?
Consider what services they offer and guarantees. This is essential if you have other language needs like translation or tight deadlines. Working in the legal industry, you might want to consider whether they offer certified translation or notarized translation.
- Turnaround Time: Can they meet your deadlines if the unexpected arises
- Native Transcriptionists: Do they have native transcriptionists who’ve worked in the US Legal System?
- Certification: Are they certified by an outside institution?
- Quality Guarantee: Do they offer any sort of quality guarantee?
Continuing Improvement in the Legal Industry
As more and more lawyers and law firms accept legal technology, the legal industry will flourish. Hopefully, this will lead to more efficient processes that not only reduce lawyers’ workloads and help them earn more, but also give them the time to enjoy life outside the firm.
The decision to try legal transcription is entirely up to you and your law firm. But considering its growth over the last two years, we feel it’s safe to say the legal industry approves.
