There’s nothing more frustrating than showing up prepped and ready to go for a deposition only to be interrupted repeatedly by a court reporter. Interruptions can disrupt your flow and cause your client to think less of you. It’s a common complaint of many attorneys, and while finding the right court reporter will go a long way towards reducing or eliminating the number of times you’re interrupted, it still may happen.
Instead of judging the court reporter too harshly, consider adjusting the way you do things to reduce the chances that you’ll be interrupted. Here are a few steps you can take to ensure you experience as few hiccups as possible with the court reporter.
You don’t have to make the court reporter sound all-important, but make it clear what their job is and ask everyone to speak clearly and at a proper volume. The speed at which people talk is also a factor. If you have some fast-talkers, consider asking them to slow down. These rules should apply to you as well, which means you may need to adjust your speaking patterns slightly to ensure that the court reporter gets everything on the record.
Preparation is key to any deposition. That fact is true when it comes to court reporting as well. The court reporter is often coming in cold and without context. Try to provide them with some before you begin. This will decrease the chances of them becoming lost, and it should help reduce the need for them to interrupt as the deposition goes on. The key will be finding the correct amount of context. You don’t want to inundate your court reporter with information, but providing a little bit can go a long way.
If you do the two things above and you’re still experiencing difficulties, it may be time to look for a new court reporter or court reporting company. Finding a court reporter you can trust to provide quality work can be tough. Connor Reporting can make it easy. We have the qualified personnel that can handle your needs no matter what they are. From a verbatim record to a real-time text display, we have the certified professionals that can deliver with accuracy and timeliness. Click here to schedule a reporter today.
