Case CATalyst Scoping for Court Reporters
I work in the latest version of Case CATalyst with RealTeam capabilities.
Your preference always takes precedence, but I have been trained according to NCRA guidelines and have a working knowledge of several style guides, including:
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Lillian Morson's English Guide for Court Reporters
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Margie Wakeman Wells's Court Reporting: Bad Grammar/Good Punctuation
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The Gregg Reference Manual, 10th Ed.
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A Court Reporter’s Guide to Medical Terminology by Nathaniel Weiss
Let me know what reference(s) you prefer! I will also email you a preference sheet to fill out so that I can tailor my scoping to your preferences along with any state and/or agency formatting guidelines.
SCOPING
RATES AND POLICIES
New clients
I only accept shorter files under 50 pages with standard turnaround from new clients in order to best see if we are a good match.
Availability
Meeting your deadlines is very important to me. Please contact me prior to sending your transcript to ensure that I have room in my schedule to accommodate your request. For your convenience, I accept work on Saturdays and Sundays at no additional charge.
Turnaround
Turnaround rates are based on Mountain Standard Time and will be calculated based on when the job is received. Jobs received after 8 p.m. MST will be logged in as received at 8 a.m. the next business day as the basis for turnaround rates.
Preferences
I will send a preference sheet to new clients to fill out. It is highly recommended that these be filled out before completion of the first job as there is a learning curve in a new client/proofreader relationship. These preference sheets improve communication and help me learn your preferences more quickly, resulting in less frustration and fewer miscommunications on both our parts. The “agreement to terms of service” portion must be signed prior to completion of any work.
Extra Charges
Drops/Raw Steno: While I do bill per page, I also take time into consideration. Please note that I reserve the right to bill a higher page rate (up to $0.50 per page) for files that contain a large amount of raw steno and/or lots of missing text that must be filled in and/or corrected, causing me to take a higher than average time on your job. As soon as I have determined that a file appears to be quite “messy,” I will notify you of the higher rate and whether or not I have the availability for the extra time the job will take.
File Growth: If the correction of excessive drops, mistranslates, and/or untranslates causes the final page count to exceed the original page count by 10 percent or more, those excess pages will be charged at double the page rate for that particular job to fall in line with the scope of transcription-like work. This additional charge will only be added to the excess pages beyond the original page count. The extra charge will not apply if formatting or paragraphing corrections are the only cause of the change in page quantity. If it’s obvious that the file is going to grow quite a bit, I will notify you as soon as I make that determination.
Dense/Technical/Expert: Transcripts that are exceptionally dense (such as hearings or arbitrations with margin-to-margin wording and very little white space per page) or with extensive technical language (medical, legal, or expert witness) are subject to a fee of up to $0.50 per page at my discretion due to the extra time involved. I will notify you of this as soon as I make this determination. The technical charge can be waived if
you have verified that all technical terms are spelled and used correctly.
Payments
Invoices are sent out on the 1st and 16th of every month. Payment is expected within 14 calendar days. I accept payments via Wave Payments, Venmo, or check.
New or one-time clients are billed upon completion of the first job, and payment is expected within 7 days. The initial invoice must be paid before I can begin work on your next job.
Payments not received within the time frame are subject to a late fee of 10% per month.
Procedures
After confirming that I am able to scope your transcript within your turnaround time, simply make a backup from your software and share it with me using your favorite file transfer tool, such as Dropbox or SendThisFile. I will acknowledge receipt via email.
When scoping your transcripts, I look for and do the following:
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correct misspellings, transposed words, and punctuation and capitalization errors
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define mistranslates and untranslates
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adjust formatting inconsistencies
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conduct research or double-check the spelling of names and places or specialized terminology
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most importantly, ensure readability.
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insert scan stops for any items that need your attention
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add hidden notes to leave further comments or clarify any questions.
I will return your scoped file via your preferred file transfer tool and let you know if there were any specific concerns to look out for. I can also send a copy directly to your proofreader if you like (PDF or Case CATalyst file).
Download a PDF of my scoping rates and policies here