6 Benefits of Using Court Reporting Services for Legal Documentation
Court reporting services play a vital role in documenting legal records of the court proceedings. Read our blog to learn more about this role
Legal cases require a high degree of accuracy due to the seriousness of the matters involved. This holds true all over the world, including in Montreal.
This is why courts there hire court reporting services to cover these proceedings. These services not only report the proceedings, but also have other advantages. Let’s explore these advantages below.
Advantages of Hiring a Court Reporting Firm for Legal Documents
You will enjoy impartial record keeping, evidence preservation, secure storage, easy accessibility, and accuracy when you hire a court reporting service. Let’s explore these benefits in detail below.
1. Accuracy
Court reporting firms are known for their precision and accuracy when recording events in real-time. Their professionals are highly trained to note down everything that goes on during a court proceeding.
They note down the words spoken by the lawyers, judges, and witnesses, along with body language, facial expressions, and tone. This accuracy ensures that no details are omitted, which allows the transcripts to be used as evidence.
Additionally, it also prevents any contextual misunderstanding, since everything is recorded as-is, without any personal insights.
2. Secure Storage & Are Easily Accessible
Court reporters in Montreal often store the records of their transcripts in various forms, such as:
i) paper-based records
ii) electronic records
iii) printouts of electronic records
iv) records created through electronic data interchange
They seal their electronic records and store them in secure servers, which only the authorized parties, like you, can access. Their security protocols will ensure that no information is leaked or stolen unlawfully, ensuring safe storage of legal documentation.
3. Evidence Preservation
Court reporting services in Montreal comply with the Canadian law, which states that all court transcripts must be accurately recorded and stored. The law also mentions that these records cannot be tampered with in any way.
However, if any official attempts to do so, they will be subjected to a 14-year imprisonment, as per Canada’s Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46).
Since these records are preserved securely, you can request these documents to be electronically shared when required. It means that you need not be physically present in the same location as the reporting services to review the transcripts.
4. Variety of Court Proceedings Handled
Court reporting services in Montreal are experienced enough to handle various types of legal matters, such as:
i) Commercial and corporate matters
ii) Civil litigation
iii) Employment and labor hearings
iv) Human rights and tribunal hearings
v) Criminal cases
vi) Family and immigration law cases
Each of these court proceedings has different requirements across the format and content. So, the court reporters minutely document these proceedings in the proceeding-specific format to ensure accuracy and prevent a miscarriage of justice.
5. Correcting Erroneous or Unclear Statements in Real Time
The accuracy with which court reporters in Montreal record the statements allows lawyers and judges to correct mistakes in real time. They can stop or cross-examine a witness mid-sentence to clarify the meaning of a particular action.
This clarity prevents any gross miscarriage of justice, especially in criminal hearings. For example, say the accused gave two contrasting versions of their whereabouts or alibis.
The lawyers can then cross-question the witness and ask them to confirm the details to defend their client. Correcting the statements in real-time ensures that the actual version of events is documented, which ensures accuracy.
6. Bilingual Documentation
Most courts in Canada use both French and English to converse and listen to witnesses during their proceedings. So, hiring court reporting services ensures that these bilingual exchanges can be recorded accurately.
These bilingual records ensure inclusivity, equality, and fairness, since lawyers and judges can frame arguments properly.
How to Choose Your Preferred Court Reporting Service?
You can choose your preferred court reporting organization by considering parameters, such as:
Types of Legal Proceedings Covered
Ideally, the court reporting firm should cover various legal proceedings like civil litigation, criminal cases, commercial, and corporate matters.
A court reporting firm with extensive experience can accurately document each of these proceedings and help your attorneys and layers fight cases easily.
Reviews
You should check local listing sites to determine the reliability of the court reporting service. Carefully scan the reviews to ensure that they are genuine, and see if you can connect with people who’ve previously employed them.
Speaking with them will give you a better idea.
Technology Used
You should look for a court reporting firm that has virtual reporting facilities, AI-enabled transcription, error flagging, and efficient document navigation. These technological advancements will:
i) allow lawyers to easily locate desirable information without any errors by referring to the electronic records
ii) help you reduce costs by providing virtual facilities
Storage and Security Protocols
The court reporting service you hire should securely store the records of the court proceedings. You should look for secure cloud servers, encryption protocols, and client-only access protocols to ensure the security of the legal documents.
Looking Back
Court reporting firms play an important role in legal documentation. However, their expertise and usefulness extend beyond this as well.
These services include transcription, translation, and legal videography, although not all firms offer them. You should explore which firms provide these additional offerings to act as backup for your legal documents.
Ready To Upgrade Your Legal Document Storage Methods?
Hire a court reporting firm near you in Montreal to experience the difference today!
