What is Legal Transcription?

What is Legal Transcription?

Legal transcription is the process where video and audio recordings are accurately converted into written form. This conversion of audio and video documents into a written format is designed to make it easier for legal professionals to find relevant information easily. The whole idea of a legal transcriptionist is to make it easier for lawyers and other legal professionals to reduce their workload and enhance their productivity on their legal cases. 

Speed and efficiency are key. It can take a lot of time to go back over audio and video recordings. When a legal professional requires information for an existing task or process, it would take too long to go back through and find what they are looking for. Instead, a legal transcriber will already have completed the process of transcribing into text form the information that is needed, making it easy to find quickly and keeping things moving at the required pace.

What are the differences between legal transcription, dictation, and court reporting?

Legal transcription is the process where recorded video or audio files are converted into written form. There is a difference between dictation and legal transcription, in that dictation is the process of speaking into a recording device or to someone who is writing down what you are saying. When dictation is written down, and when audio or video files are written down accurately, including correct legal terminology, it becomes transcription.

Dictation and transcription

There are a few ways in which these two processes differ. Legal transcription is where information from a recorded file is typed into a legal document. Dictation is where things that have been spoken into a recording software is later transcribed into a legal document.

Legal transcription services are often desired by legal professionals as they are complete and more thorough than dictation. The time is taken to understand exactly what has been said and put into the correct legal context in the final written legal document, whereas dictation alone could include all manner of external noises that can make it difficult to understand every single word. This ensures a higher standard of quality than dictation, and the end result is much easier to use than dictation, where transcribed legal documents are easily scanned, copied, and stored. Your transcriptions will be organised and easy to find when required.

Court reporting and transcription

Court reporting is the task undertaken by stenographers. This is a role where a machine is used to write in shorthand and convert it into a full document at a later date. A court reporter works in the courtroom, and is usually certified to be a court reporter, whereas a legal transcriber does not have to be certified to perform the task of transcription (although it is preferred and there is a range of legal transcription courses available). A court reporter has a duty to record absolutely everything that is said in the court or any other type of legal setting that they are present. This requires a high standard of accuracy. This is usually fast-paced. A legal transcriptionist has more time to produce a written legal document, taking time to ensure that accuracy is at its highest level.

legal and court transcription

Why are legal transcription services needed?

There are very good reasons why law firms should invest in legal transcription. It is a hugely beneficial service for law firms as it takes the pressure away from lawyers, solicitors, and barristers, to go through old audio files to find crucial information that they need for cases. By leveraging a professional UK transcription company, legal documents are written up and organised for ease of access to key information.

Another good reason for law firms to collaborate with a legal transcription service is that it frees up the time of legal assistants to handle other tasks as they are not needed to complete the transcriptions themselves. It reduces the workload and helps to boost the support resources they provide to more senior members in the legal team. Furthermore, Legal transcription services are a more cost-effective solution to hiring a larger in-house legal support team.

How does the legal transcription process work?

The first part of legal transcription is the recording of the content. Whether an audio file or a video file this must be uploaded or sent to the legal transcriber, who will then take on the transcribing task. The document is written up and checked for any mistakes, grammatical errors and accurate legal terminology and context.

How long does legal transcription take?

The time it takes for a legal transcription will depend on a few factors, such as the length of the audio and video content, the complexity of the file being transcribed, and how quickly the finished legal document is required.

Legal transcription provides an accurate and much-needed service for legal companies, taking audio and video files and turning them into written legal documents that can be easily stored, searched, and utilised at a later date. Alphabet Transcribers is proud to operate with a “right-first-time ethos” Which means you know your legal transcriptions will always be delivered accurately and to the highest standard.

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