Are you a Fort Lauderdale court reporter? You may have heard the same news that we did. Many others in the legal profession have been whispering amongst themselves that technology will soon replace all of us in court. After all, voice recording technology has grown by leaps and bounds through the years. And they assert tech never gets tired or makes mistakes, unlike human beings with frailties.
The endless chatter on whether court reporters will get sacked just won’t die down. Your initial response may be to believe everything. After all, we live in a time where you can ask Siri for directions or order Alexa to play your favorite song. Even Robo vacuums clean our floors for us, and it seems the driverless cars shall soon ply our highways.
Every Fort Lauderdale court reporter cannot deny that technology indeed improves with time. And over the years, we have all benefited from its convenience. In some industries, tech has already replaced human beings, especially in the production line in factories. Thankfully, our team at Brickell Key feels confident in declaring that court reporting is one job that Siri and Alexa cannot replace. Our jobs are here to stay, no matter what happens. Check out our reasons for making this claim below:
We Provide Real-Time Results
Everyone knows the justice system is time-sensitive. Even lawyers who have been in practice for a long time will tell you that time equates to money. That’s why they have billable hourly rates! Hence, they only want to work with people who can produce work swiftly.
Fortunately, any certified Fort Lauderdale court reporter can produce accurate results in a timely manner after the deposition. But, most importantly, court reporters also serve a critical function during depositions, hearings, arbitrations, etc. And that’s to provide real-time responses and services.
With a Fort Lauderdale court reporter transcribing any of your meetings, you will have access to the following real-time perks:
- Instant access to live transcript feed as the reporter types what is being said in court.
- You can keyword-search the transcript to look for what you need on the spot.
- Since everything is real-time, you can mark sections for later reference.
- It is also easy to highlight and issue code text or make notes even as the deposition progresses.
Besides, you can access real-time feeds later online. Having remote access will save you time and money, especially if you are streaming the proceedings in a separate location. We are all proud to say that this is something that a voice recording system can never do. This equipment will only record but never provide superior service or go the extra mile for you.
We Provide Accurate and Reliable Work
Even if Alexa and Siri proved their mettle when we needed them, voice recognition still could not compete with the accuracy and reliability of a real live Fort Lauderdale court reporter. Even the most innovative software cannot do the following:
- Distinguish between multiple speakers talking at the same time
- Understand and decipher deeply accented phrases
- Cut out annoying background noise
- Detect emotions of the speakers, especially distressed witnesses
- Stop speakers and ask for explanations
- Prevent many people from speaking at once
- Clarify technical jargon to prevent misunderstanding
- Re-read through the transcript notes and say it out loud when requested
- Decipher what speakers are saying through their emotions, like laughing or crying
Any voice recognition system cannot do all the details as mentioned above. For this reason, a Fort Lauderdale court reporter must not worry. This job proves secure because these seemingly minute responsibilities remain essential in any courtroom. Besides, any mistake committed by software can negatively impact any party and even the legal system itself.
Inaccurate data can result in a huge miscarriage of justice. On top of that, it will waste precious resources like time and money. Since it takes so much effort to procure witness testimony, the last thing anyone wants to encounter is a mistrial due to tech issues, glitches, or errors.
We Can Promise to Stay Off-the-Record
As practitioners in the legal system, we all know that it is common for attorneys to ask a Fort Lauderdale court reporter to stop transcribing. This paves the way for what we call “off-the-record attorney and client exchanges.”
Unfortunately, a voice recording system cannot block out sensitive information like a real, human Fort Lauderdale court reporter. It proves cumbersome when digital voice machines record nonstop and fail to block out these private exchanges. Because of this incapability, there have been many instances when digital recordings recorded this confidential information. As a result, privileged information becomes a part of the official record.
Anyone who dabbles in the legal profession knows that this is truly unacceptable. A Fort Lauderdale court reporter’s training compels this esteemed professional to remain discreet. What must stay off the record will indeed never be recorded.
We Provide Exemplary Services at More Affordable Pricing
When you analyze the situation, high-tech voice recording would cost you more money in the long run. This is because so many believe the myth that leveraging technology would cost less than hiring a Fort Lauderdale court reporter to perform the same job. However, this doesn’t work out like this at all. After the initial purchase of a super expensive voice recording system, you have to pay additional costs like:
- Hardwiring the system (roughly 20 grand)
- Perform network upgrades to store massive digital files (can cost 50K)
- Pay to secure all the data because you deal with sensitive information
The costs will keep on piling up. Besides, you have to pay for a real human to manage the recording system. And it cannot be just an ordinary worker. You need someone with a degree in Information Technology. This person serves as your backup in case any issues crop up with your tech.
In contrast, you just need to pay a Fort Lauderdale court reporter per case or transcript, depending on your initial agreement. According to national reports, this would cost so much less than buying your own digital recording system and paying for its professional maintenance.
We Offer So Many Benefits If You Collaborate With Us
A Fort Lauderdale court reporter provides so many additional benefits throughout any deposition, hearing, etc. On top of that, you can expect exemplary services even once the trial or any other meetings are done. If you are working on a complex trial, you can expect your court reporter to provide daily transcripts for your perusal.
Even the other parties involved in the complex case will get updates to facilitate the process. A Fort Lauderdale court reporter can make a rough draft immediately after the day’s proceedings. You can expect an electronic or printed version of the recap transcript, whichever you prefer.
Noteworthy, this superior service is something that your voice recording machine cannot do. It will only record what has been said and nothing more. It cannot go the extra mile for you because it was not designed to do so. Any machine will only perform its intended function and purpose. Hence, you will not receive any incentives or conveniences with Alexa and Siri.
We Guarantee Fine Attention to Detail From a Reporter Who Heard the Actual Proceedings
When you deal with voice recording tech, chances are, your transcripts would be prepared by different transcribers. Though in most cases, they say working with more heads is better than one, it doesn’t hold true for court reporting.
Having many transcribers could result in confusing conflicting interpretations of what transpired in the proceedings. You will deal with these variations due to the following reasons:
- Background
- Training
- Education
- Diligence
- Other individual considerations
All of these will impact how a transcriber does it. Besides, your chosen team to work on the voice recordings did not hear the actual statements. Their absence in the real-life proceedings could impact the final reports.
We Are Here To Stay For Good
By now, you may realize that all that mumbo-jumbo about replacing us court reporters with Alexa or Siri cannot possibly materialize. It is greatly unsupported because no one can replace a real human court reporter. Just imagine robots replacing the police; that is impossible! The professional expertise and presence of court reporters matter. It holds so much weight, especially when you seek truth and justice.
However, we do not mean to discount the benefits of technology because it indeed helps the world and people living in it. In fact, without technology, we would all still be using pens, paper, and our manual effort to write transcripts. But thanks to technology, we can count on the steno machine.
Now, we can also use real-time and online services to help attorneys and other parties view transcripts immediately. In spite of tech advancement, court reporting will continually thrive because it is a vital public service that people count on.
Moreover, since it is impossible for robots to dominate the world, court reporting shall remain a viable career path. If you need assistance getting into this profession, give us a call at Brickell Key. We would be happy to assist you in fine-tuning your career, and we can also help you find a suitable reporter to match your needs.
