Transcript turnaround and rush options: getting the record when you need it

Turnaround is a decision, not a default

When you order a transcript, you are also choosing when you will have it. Standard delivery is the right answer for most depositions and the most economical. Expedited options compress the schedule for a motion deadline, a trial date, or a follow-up deposition that depends on what the first witness said, and they cost more because the reporter and proofreader set other work aside to get it done.

The best time to make that choice is when you schedule the deposition, or at the latest before the record closes. Telling us then lets us assign a reporter whose schedule can absorb the expedite and lets us quote the price before anyone has to approve an invoice.

Standard delivery

After the deposition, the reporter finishes translating and editing the record, a proofreader checks it against the audio, exhibits are scanned and attached, and the transcript is certified. Where read-and-sign applies, the witness review period runs alongside. Standard delivery is measured in business days and the exact window is confirmed on your scheduling confirmation and your invoice.

Standard turnaround is the quiet workhorse of litigation: unless a deadline is pressing, it gives the reporter the time that produces the cleanest certified record at the lowest cost.

Expedited and rush delivery

Expedited delivery shortens the standard window to a few days; rush delivery shortens it further, down to next-business-day or same-day where the length of the deposition allows. Pricing for each tier is a percentage uplift on the per-page rate, and every tier is quoted to you before the deposition when you order it at scheduling.

Multi-day depositions and trials can also be set up for daily copy, where each day's testimony is delivered before the next session begins.

• Tell us the deadline, not just the tier. Knowing a motion is due on a specific morning lets us pick the tier that actually meets it.
• Order at scheduling when you can. A rush ordered after the deposition closes depends on the reporter's availability that week.
• Decide who needs it fast. Often only one party needs the expedite; the others can take standard delivery of their copies.
• Ask about a rough draft. Many deadlines are met by a same-day rough draft plus standard delivery of the certified transcript.

Rough drafts and realtime

A rough draft is the reporter's unedited translation, delivered electronically soon after the deposition, often the same day. It is not certified and is not a substitute for the final transcript in any filing, but it is an excellent tool for preparing the next witness, briefing a partner, or deciding whether a rush on the certified copy is really necessary.

Realtime reporting goes one step further: the text streams to your laptop or tablet as the witness speaks, so your team can mark passages and follow along live, including team members joining remotely. Realtime is ordered at scheduling so the reporter can bring the connection and our staff can confirm compatibility with your devices beforehand.

What affects turnaround

Two depositions ordered on the same tier can land on different days for reasons that have nothing to do with the reporter's effort. Knowing them helps you plan.

• Length of the deposition. A full day of testimony is several times the editing and proofreading work of a two-hour session.
• Technical vocabulary. Medical, engineering, and financial testimony takes longer to verify, especially when spellings were not provided on the record.
• Exhibit volume. Large or poorly legible exhibit sets add scanning and indexing time.
• Read-and-sign. Where the witness reviews the transcript, the final with errata follows the review period.
• Video synchronization. Syncing video to the transcript happens after the transcript is final.
• Audio quality. Crosstalk, speakerphones, and poor remote connections slow the proofreading pass.
• Holidays and weekends. Business-day counts skip them; same-day and next-day tiers are quoted around them.

How to request a rush

Tell our scheduling desk the delivery date you need when you book, or tell the reporter before the record closes. We confirm the tier, the delivery date, and the price in writing before the transcript is produced. If a deadline appears after the deposition is over, call the office; we will tell you the same day what is possible with the reporter's schedule.

A rush is a promise we make to your calendar. If you tell us the real deadline, we will tell you honestly which option meets it, including when a rough draft will do the job for less.

Common questions

Can I expedite after the deposition is over?

Usually, yes. Call the office as soon as the deadline appears and we will confirm what the reporter's schedule allows that week. Ordering at scheduling gives you the widest choice of tiers, but a post-deposition rush is routine.

Is a rough draft certified?

No. A rough draft is the reporter's unedited translation and is marked as such. It is for preparation and internal review, never for filing or quotation in a brief. The certified transcript follows on the delivery tier you ordered.

Does rush delivery cost more?

Yes. Each expedite tier is a percentage uplift on the per-page rate, and the amount is quoted to you in writing before the transcript is produced. Our pricing guide explains how the uplift fits into the rest of the invoice.

Can different parties choose different turnaround?

Yes. Each party orders its own copy and selects its own delivery tier. The party with the deadline can expedite without changing the cost or timing for anyone else.