There are many standard questions you might ask a transcription company, regardless of the industry. However, the legal field often has special requests that change things around a bit. You still want to look for a contractor who is capable of quality service and a high level of accuracy, but some other things may be important to ask before choosing a long-term transcription partner.
The first question to ask is whether the individual already has experience in the legal field. You can follow up by asking for references. It’s a good idea to contract a transcriptionist who has previous experience because they will be confident working with the terminology and formatting that is demanded by the legal field. They will also be comfortable working with the confidential type of work that is common in law.
You will also want to find out what their policies are when it comes to confidentiality and security. You will likely want to contract someone who is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). In cases that involve medical records, a statement describing HIPAA compliance will also be necessary. If you are working with an agency, you can also ask that the work is broken up among various people so that no single person has all of the information. Security requirements like VPNs, encryption, and SSL are also important to discuss.
Finally, you should ask about the turnaround time. The legal field moves quickly, and you need to ensure that it is possible for the individual or agency to keep up. This can have a dramatic impact on your case, so it’s vital to ensure they can meet your needs. You want to be wary of anyone who has an open-ended turnaround time as you may experience delays.