Michigan court reporter

November 15, 2012 By Dawn Houghton

Michigan Court Reporters on Facebook

You may have noticed O’Brien and Bails now has a Facebook page. Our goal is to reach out in new ways to serve our community. We want to open new channels of communication with you. To accomplish that goal, we are contributing to our blog regularly and working to provide good, useful information for you. We’re also stepping up our Facebook presence with the O’Brien and Bails Facebook Business Page.

Why Facebook? There are a couple good reasons we decided to jump into social media. One, we want to keep in touch with you. We know many of you are on Facebook and we want to meet you there. Our page will be a place to share what’s happening at O’Brien and Bails and what’s happening with our reporters, clients, friends and community.

We are also sharing our blog posts on our Facebook page. That same good information we are creating for you on our blog post, we will be putting on Facebook too. That way, you have immediate access if you “Like” our page. You may see some of our articles that interest you and will be able to click on them and go directly to the article. It’s one more way we can serve our clients and community.

Keeping in touch with you is very important to us. Stop on by and say hello! You can find us at http://facebook.com/obrienandbails. “Like” our page. Once you do, you will see our updates in your own Facebook news stream. That means, when you come to Facebook, from time to time you will see us in the mix with your friends and family updates.

Watch out for more changes at O’Brien and Bails as we continue to implement new ways to serve you, our community.

November 8, 2012 By Dawn Houghton

The Secret to Finding Michigan Court Reporters on the First Call

call Michigan court reporters How many times have you called to hire a court reporter for a deposition only to find out the court reporter you called was not available on the date you requested? Most likely your next step was to call another reporter, and another, and another until you found one that was available.

This chore of hunting for an available reporter can be time consuming and waste your precious resources that you could be using for more important tasks in running your law firm.

Wouldn’t it be better if you could make one phone call and always know you will be able to schedule a reporter for your deposition with that one call? You can! There is a way.

The secret to finding a court reporter on the first call is to call a court reporting firm that employs a large number of reporters and one that has a large network of independent reporters they work with. Find one of these firms and use them for all of your deposition needs. Here’s why this secret works.

Safety in Numbers

As the owner of a large court reporting firm, my goal is to have a reporter available every time a law firm calls to schedule a deposition. I can do this using two major strategies. One, I employ a large number of court reporters. Two, I have cultivated a network of independent reporters and other small court reporting firms.

Let’s start with the first strategy. O’Brien and Bails employs 15 court reporters. I have 15 chances of having someone available when you call to schedule a deposition. We can have 15 different depositions scheduled in one day and still cover all of them.

Strong Networks

Over the years, I have spent a lot of time cultivating friendships and working relationships with other court reporters. I have a network of independent court reporters from all over the state. I have even cultivated friendships and working relationships with reporters from other states. Having this network in place means that, should you call and need a reporter tomorrow, and all of my reporters are already scheduled, I and my staff have a large pool of independent reporters we can begin contacting until we find one that is available for your deposition.

Often a large firm offers this service because we know your time is valuable. We know it’s frustrating to have to place many calls to schedule a court reporter. We know we can quickly find you good qualified reporters, even if your deposition is out of town. It’s one of the many ways we can add value for our clients.

The next time you schedule a deposition, call a large court reporting agency. Their ability to say yes every time you call means you won’t waste precious time with this task when you could be using your time more efficiently. Calling a large court reporting agency saves you time and money.

To easily schedule a deposition with O’Brien and Bails, go to our online Deposition Scheduler. Our scheduler allows you to schedule a deposition at your convenience, 24/7.

November 5, 2012 By Dawn Houghton

How To Find a Conference Room for Your Legal Deposition

Some of the fiercest competition in a busy law firm can be competition over use of the conference rooms. Some firms have complicated reservation systems in order to try to maximize use of such valuable space. This situation may have you looking for an alternative space to use for your upcoming deposition.

Or maybe you need to schedule an out-of-town deposition. Where do you begin in your search for conference room space?

Here are some places to start.

Ask your court reporter

Many larger court reporting agencies will have conference space available for your use. All you need to do when you call to schedule a deposition is let the agency know you will need to reserve a conference room. Let them know how many people you expect in attendance.

Some court reporting agencies will not only let you use their conference room but will also search for a conference room in other cities where you may need one. For instance, at O’Brien and Bails, we often will have a client call, tell us the city, and we do the legwork to find a conference room anywhere in the country. In Michigan, we have a database of conference rooms all over the state that we are search by city name or region. It’s a service we like to offer our clients that we know saves them time and money.

Borrow space from another law firm

If you refer clients, on occasion, to other area law firms, call and ask if you can use their conference room. Most law firms will be happy to oblige provided the room is not already reserved.

Ask a favor of a vendor

Your firm likely has an accounting firm or local insurance agency that you use for services. These vendors can be a good source of conference room space. Again, most will be very accommodating and lend you their conference space.

Check with local courthouses

Many courthouses have extra office spaces that you can call and reserve for taking a deposition or for client conferences. Call and see if they allow you to reserve one in advance.

Reserve a hotel conference room

Most hotels have conference rooms or rooms set up for business meetings. If you cannot find space in an office setting, a hotel conference space can be a good alternative.

At O’Brien and Bails, many of our clients ask us to help them find conference room space for depositions. We have our own conference facilities in various cities for this very purpose. And if our own conference rooms are already in use, we often help our clients find space elsewhere.

To easily schedule a deposition and reserve a conference room with O’Brien and Bails, go to our online Deposition Scheduler. Our scheduler allows you to schedule a deposition at your convenience, 24/7.

September 24, 2012 By Dawn Houghton

How to Find a Michigan Court Reporter for Your Deposition

Finding and hiring a good court reporter is essential for an accurate record of a witness’ testimony. Here are a few simple things to take into consideration before you call a court reporter to schedule a deposition.

1. Decide what type of court reporter you will need. Consider whether you will need video, realtime transcription or expedited transcripts. These are a few of the specialized services not offered by all court reporters. If these specialized services are required, you will want to ask about those services when you begin contacting court reporting firms.

2. Assess specifics of the deposition. It is good to have an idea of what length of time you anticipate the deposition to last. You will want to have the date set so that you can schedule a reporter for the date you need when you call.

3. Ask other attorneys for recommendations of reporting firms. By taking recommendations from other attorneys, you allow the other attorneys to screen candidates for you. An attorney is unlikely to pass along a name of a court reporter that did not provide good service.

4. Inquire about court reporting experience and certifications. There are differing levels of certification for court reporters. Most states require certification before a court reporter is allowed to offer services. There are also national certification levels. A few common levels are:

RPR – Registered Professional Reporter – Reporter has knowledge, skills and ability to produce a high-quality verbatim record.

RMR – Registered Merit Reporter – Advanced level court reporting skills

RDR – Registered Diplomat Reporter – Highest level of excellence in court reporting

CRR – Certified Realtime Reporter – High level of speed and accuracy while producing realtime transcription.

With a little bit of planning ahead of time, you will be better prepared when you begin calling reporting firms for a deposition. Use this list to get started in your search.

Are you looking for a court reporter in Michigan? Schedule one now with the O’Brien and Bails online Deposition Scheduler.