There are many rules of etiquette to follow in an examination for discovery. Here are a few helpful tips that will assist you when working with a court reporter.
1) Inform when going on or off record:
It is a good practice to inform the court reporter when the speaker is speaking on or off the record. Although a court reporter may have extensive court reporting experience, it can sometimes be difficult to follow by the tone of voice.
2) Verbal Communication:
Trials or examinations can be time-consuming and reporters might feel the weight. In this instance, lawyers can help them keep up by slowing down their verbal speed and eliminating non-verbal communication.
3) Providing spelling for case-specific terminology:
Every case is different and court reporters generally try to become familiar with the terminology used in the industry of the case in hand. In cases that require definitive words that are difficult to spell, the court reporter should be given a copy of the terms. This saves the reporter an immense amount of time and removes the need to backtrack and correct spelling errors.
4) Court reporters do not give case opinions:
Court reporters, by duty, are required to be impartial. Both parties may be tempted to ask the court reporter their opinion about the case as it unfolds but this should be avoided at all costs. The reporter’s neutrality could be compromised by offering an opinion.
5) Seat the court reporter close to the witness:
At times witnesses might be soft-spoken or nervous and in those instances, ideally they should be seated next to the court reporter. This will help the reporter to not miss any details.
These simple rules of etiquette make the examination process easier and more efficient, allowing the transcript to retain all of the information from the examination.
To book a court reporter for an examination, meeting, or mediation, or to discuss a court reporting position with On The Record, call one of our locations today, conveniently located in Whitby and Barrie. We look forward to discussing your court reporting or mediation needs.