Whenever court reporters are hired, it is important to inform them about the type of transcription required be it verbatim or non-verbatim. Verbatim transcription is the process of converting all audible statements from audio or video files into the written format – and non-verbatim transcription is a cleaner and more readable text produced from the same conversion. However, this does not contain any non-lexical fillers, unlike its counterpart.
Why non-verbatim transcription?
Legal transcription is important for court motions, trials and other legal pursuits. A non-verbatim transcription ensures the accuracy of the content and eliminates unnecessary jargon, false starts, repetitive sentences, non-verbal utterances or language fillers that take up space in a transcript. This type of copy also contains paraphrased statements which helps to convey the same message with much more clarity as real-time statements might not be well thought out.
So, if a clean and reliable text that facilitates reading is required then the best option would be non-verbatim transcripts.
Why verbatim transcription?
Verbatim transcripts are statements that contain every word and non-lexical fillers uttered by a party. This means that any grammatical errors, repetitions or false starts are delivered without correcting them. This type of transcript is mainly used for study/research purposes by mental health professionals or lawyers during court trials as everything a party says is being undoubtedly transcribed.
Some professionals examine non-lexical fillers uttered by a party during a trial to extract more information about the nature of the context. Similarly, experts also examine the body language of a witness which is being transcribed into text from a video which may contain certain cues related to the case. A person’s accent and use of language may also help determine the authenticity of the statement and can help legal professionals form an argument for legal purposes.
Verbatim transcripts are preferred during the trial when ‘how’ a statement is made is more important than why it is made.
To book a court reporter for a meeting or a mediation, or even 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.