Technology has changed the way legal transcription services are done. With the use of digital audio, transcription software and the Internet, legal transcription professionals now can work at home. Transcription companies and law firms have also recognized that using home-based workers is a quick and convenient way to obtain the transcription services they need.
Types
Legal transcription providers can choose from three types of work-at-home opportunities. They can work for a Web-based transcription company as an employee or as independent contractor. Independent contractors set up their own work schedule, keep track of their work hours and pay their own income taxes. A legal transcription professional who is hired as an employee is usually paid by the hour and receives employee benefits. They are also required to work a set amount of hours each week. Legal transcription workers also can choose to run their own businesses and work directly with clients.
Benefits
In addition to having a flexible work schedule, an experienced legal transcription professional working from home can make as much as $25 per hour. In this line of work, how much you are paid is based mostly on your typing skills, experience level and quality of your work. Experienced transcription providers can turn this skill into a profitable home business.
Function
Legal transcription professionals are hired to produce a written copy of recordings from depositions, pleadings, legal briefs, interrogatories and other types of legal dictation for lawyers, government agencies and transcription companies. Depending on the project, a legal transcription professional will transcribe the recording verbatim or will edit it to correct grammatical errors.
Considerations
Successful legal transcription professionals have good typing skills, excellent grammar skills and experience handling legal documents. As a result, most legal transcription companies only hire legal transcription professionals who have at least two years of legal office experience and one year of transcription experience. Legal transcription professionals are also usually required to type a minimum of 75 words per minute with 100 percent accuracy. If they choose to work from home, they will need to have their own transcription equipment, including a foot pedal, word processing software, transcription software and headset.
Warning
There has been a significant increase in work-at-home scams. According to Staffcentrix, a virtual-careers training company, 54 out of every 55 work-at-home job ads are scams. As you search for legal transcription jobs on the Internet, it may be difficult to separate the scams from the real job opportunities. To avoid being scammed, do not respond to ads that promise you job leads in exchange for a fee or companies that charge for a job application. Do not give out your bank information or your Social Security number, and carefully research all potential employers.
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