A certified legal transcript means the individual or company that transcribes a court or legal document is willing to stand behind their work and even testify to the authenticity and accuracy of their transcription work.
Obtaining a certified legal transcript is vital for many reasons. Unfortunately, it’s becoming challenging to find transcription companies willing or capable of standing behind their legal transcription work.
When selecting a company to transcribe legal audio files, courtroom proceedings, or depositions, make sure the transcription company is capable of certifying your transcripts.
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- Certified legal transcripts are critical in legal proceedings—ensuring accuracy, admissibility in court, and avoiding dismissal of vital evidence due to lack of proper certification.
- To choose a qualified transcription provider—by confirming they employ U.S.-based professionals, guarantee 99% accuracy, and are willing to certify and testify to the transcript’s authenticity.
To obtain certified legal transcripts efficiently—by selecting a reputable transcription company or court reporter, verifying court requirements, and understanding pricing, turnaround, and certification procedures.
Why do legal transcripts need to be certified?
Court transcripts should be certified to ensure everything that transpired during a legal proceeding is transcribed exactly as it occurred. Many companies offer court transcription services, but not all of them produce certified transcripts. Legal transcripts include courtroom proceedings such as trials and hearings, as well as off-site depositions.
You may be asking yourself, “What is a certified legal transcript, and why is it important?”
Any transcription of a legal proceeding – including trials, hearings, and depositions – is deemed “certified” when the person transcribing those legal documents signs a form indicating that the transcribed file is accurate and transcribed precisely as it was recorded. In other words, the person and company producing the transcription are willing to stand behind their work.
At Ditto Transcripts, our legal transcribers certify their legal transcripts by signing the following statement:
Judges and courts will accept only certified transcripts for an appeal or when a review of a legal proceeding is necessary. Legal proceedings are sometimes extremely complicated. How a witness, defendant, or attorney says something is sometimes just as important as what they say.
That’s why it’s imperative to retain a transcription company that guarantees the accuracy of its work.
In the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd (State of Minnesota v. Derek Chauvin in 2021), Judge Peter Cahill ruled that the submitted transcript was inadmissible because it was not certified or prepared by an official court reporter.
Ultimately, it was considered an unofficial document that lacked the necessary certification to be used as reliable evidence.
This case highlights the importance of certified legal transcripts in legal proceedings. Without proper certification, evidence that can potentially make a significant impact in a courtroom is almost always dismissed.
How Can I Get a Certified Legal Transcript?
Certified legal transcripts can be obtained from a transcription company or a court reporting service.
Unfortunately, not all transcription companies are willing or capable of certifying your legal transcription. The primary reason some companies are unwilling to certify their legal transcripts is that they choose to employ and use court transcriptionists who are not U.S. citizens, or their transcriptionists reside in a foreign country.
At Ditto Transcripts, we require the following of all transcriptionists:
- They reside in the U.S. and have legal citizenship
- Have previous experience transcribing legal proceedings
- Undergo a thorough criminal background check
- Are willing to certify any legal document they transcribe
- Our accuracy standard for legal transcriptionists is 99%
- Will testify under oath if called upon
Our client testimonials demonstrate strong trust and satisfaction across various industries, including the legal field. We recommend that anyone needing a certified legal transcript personally speak with someone in management to discuss the details of your order.
Do You Need a Court Reporter to Get a Certified Transcript?
As in the case of State of Minnesota v. Derek Chauvin (2021), judges and courts will accept certified transcriptions from either a transcription or court reporting company. However, some jurisdictions require transcripts exclusively from a court reporter. Make sure you confirm this with the court clerk’s office when you order the audio file you want to be transcribed.
Using a court reporter versus a court transcription services company
Most people have seen movies or TV shows that depict a trial or legal proceeding where a court reporter is seated near the witness stand, typing on a stenograph machine that records everything said or that happens during the court proceeding.
Court reporters undergo two to three years of school and training to acquire the certification and skills necessary to capture everything during a legal proceeding in real-time. After a trial or hearing, the court reporter compiles all the captured information and produces a written transcript that can be reviewed by judges, attorneys, or other interested parties.
Legal transcripts are vital when cases are appealed to higher courts or reviewed by legal scholars.
However, court reporters are not physically present for all legal proceedings. Today, some judges, courts, and attorneys rely on audio and video technology to record what occurs in a courtroom. If needed, audio recordings can be used later to transcribe the court proceedings into a written document, using the specific legal format required by the court.
When attorneys, their clients, or other interested parties need a certified typed transcript, they should either use the services of a court reporting firm or a reputable transcription company.
Benefits of Using a Legal Transcription Company Instead of a Court Reporter
The two primary reasons are usually money and turnaround time. Most court reporters charge at least $150 per hour. Reputable transcription companies capable of producing certified legal transcriptions are generally 25 to 50 percent less expensive.
At Ditto Transcripts, our legal transcription rates range between $1.50 and $5.00 per audio minute.
Legal transcription prices fall into three categories based on turnaround time, the number of speakers, and audio quality. The most common legal transcription services request we receive is for a 3-5 business day turnaround time, with 4+ speakers, and verbatim, which costs $3.25 per audio minute. Verbatim transcription services ensure that all words said in an audio are completely captured and appropriately labeled.
Most legal transcriptions fall into category B because they have three or more speakers, typically using complex legal words and phrases requiring legal experience to transcribe correctly.
The other significant advantage to using a transcription company vs a court reporting company is turnaround time. Depending on your needs and the complexity of the audio file, we can produce your certified transcript within a few hours to a few days. Court reporters usually take around 30 days to create written legal transcripts.
That’s why you must confirm the process for ordering audio files with the court clerk’s office. Also, make sure you understand the court’s rules before ordering certified court transcriptions.
Below shows the comparison of Ditto Transcripts and Court Reporting Services.
| Feature | Ditto Transcripts | Court Reporting Services |
| Valid for Legal Use (Certified) | Yes | Yes |
| U.S.-Based Professionals | Yes | Yes |
| Turnover rate | Within a few hours to days, depending on the audio length. | ~30 days for written legal transcripts |
| Cost | Standard cost is $1.75 per audio minute | At least $150 per hour |
Does the Freedom of Information Act guarantee access to certified legal transcripts?
Enacted by Congress, the Freedom of Information Act only applies to federal government agencies. Sometimes, individual states have passed laws that dictate the availability of audio and video recordings of legal proceedings, as well as the corresponding transcripts. Audio or video files may not be available from some small municipal courts, as they may not have access to the necessary technology.
Judges can also restrict access to court transcripts if they deem the information will violate a person’s rights or that the information discussed is too sensitive for the general public to acquire. Cases where sensitive medical information is discussed or information about ongoing civil or criminal investigations are examples.
Transcription Companies That Certify Legal Transcriptions
Not every transcription company is capable or willing to certify their legal transcriptions.
One of the main reasons is that many transcription companies choose to employ transcriptionists who reside in foreign countries. Also, these same companies often allow multiple transcriptionists to work on the same document.
When multiple people work on the same legal document, especially if they are not U.S. citizens with a thorough understanding of our legal system, the accuracy rate often suffers significantly. That’s one reason some transcription companies cannot certify their legal transcripts.
Ditto Transcripts is your best option for certified legal transcripts
At Ditto, we take pride in our work, including quality assurance and dedicated account managers for every single client. We understand the value of time – that’s why our legal transcription prices are available for transparency. Our easy-to-use calculator allows you to estimate costs according to your transcription needs and find efficient ways to obtain transcripts.
Ditto Transcripts is a CJIS-compliant and HIPAA-compliant, Denver, Colorado-based transcription company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcription services to companies and agencies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote.