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IT COULD LAND IN COURT SM

Posted By: anonme on 2008-01-29
In Reply to: "Normals" - sm - anon

Sorry for the shouting, I also did legal and one of my reports from a service with my initials on it was evidence and they questioned the doc on the stand. They say the report belongs to the doc but who knows when this will change. Thank goodness I had nothing to do with it, but they did ask him where it was typed, by whom, the time and date. Some docs do doctor the date to cover their kiesta and that's a hard decision to make. If the case were serious enough, I would question it or send it back with a note and document that note and make a copy. Sorry to be so serious but I've been in this a long time and I've hear it all. Lots of CYA stuff goes on (cover your -ss)


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Has anyone had court reporter training or looked into court reporting?
I am thinking about taking a distance learning course in court reporting and I was just wondering if anyone has tried it, done it, looked into it and what they have found out.  If you have gone to school for it or are going to school for it or know anything about court reporting could you share what you know with me?  I have been in the transcription field for 15 years and I thought that might be something that I could bridge over to pretty easily, but not sure.  Any comments on this idea?  Thanks everyone for your help!
last time I was in court -- no court reporter
I have taken my ex back to court a few times in the past couple of years and there was no court reporter in the room... In fact it was mentioned that they make a recording of the proceedings and then it is transcribed... I just asked a simple question if anybody knew if this job could be done at home and based on my experience it would make sense that it could be. No need to get nasty.
Same as on land

That is so funny as one year I had my aunt and uncle visit from NYC -- where I was born -- and they asked if I had power and sewer system, etc.  And we are the same as you are on land.  They about died when they walked to the walkway, looked down and saw 53 homes on the water, it is a awsome site when you are from a large city like NYC.  I have cable TV, Comcast internet, the wires are in the concrete walkways.  Before they built this new moorage we had wooden walkways and our power lines, etc. were overhead and they were dangerous.  But they come undergrown from the street above and through the concrete walkways.  Have natural gas heat.   Portland has one of the largest number of floating homes as Seattle now has a moratoreum on building anymore.  So our prices are rising finally.    We are safer than normal homes near a river during a flood as we only go up, up up as we are hooked onto pilings on three sides of our houses.   So we float upwards.    Thanks for asking. 


 


From the Land of Make-Believe
x
This is the land of the free.
that works them to death has made the wrong choices in life. 
If you are using a land line you don't really have
unlimited long distance, they cap it at 5000 minutes, which isn't enough if you work FT.   You could get a prepaid card - I think at Sam's club they are about 3 cents minute.  You can also use a company like (can't remember name, but has 10-10 in it) that is less than that.  There may be other similar companies too. 
Someone is in la-la land and guess who?
The OP. PA registration called and they said no breast or gyn exams on license. I bet they were about as amused as I was asking the question but I like to hear for myself.
Darned right - people are in la-la land

we're "refusing" to work? Rely on the kindness of strangers, or what? People really need to get a grip on reality here.



Did Discovery land safely?
nm
HAHAHAHA - you must live in the land...sm

of DELUSION AND DENIAL (de Nile as in river *LOL*)


Women use both sides of their brains, a rarity for a man.......*wink*


Ooooohhhh, Biltmore land! :)
Lucky you to be able to visit it so easily!

Hidee Ho! Dictation Land...
I have one doc who always says that before her dictations. It always makes me chuckle...then I wonder...where exactly is Dictation Land? LOL
don't remember land of the giants, but
I remember I just loved Gilligan's Island and Bewitched.
Is C-phone for land-line only?

Won't pretend I understand VOIP but I know its available with my broadband.


You are trying to land this digital account with
You should require they purchase their own recorders.  That is only fair, but that is just my opinion.  Let them know you need some help with the purchase of the recorders. 
Land an account using your web site? sm
I'm setting up a web site to hopefully obtain clients. My question is if I get an account what can I do to be sure they pay me and I not get stiffed for doing work?

Was thinking about using BuyerZone or some other type of site to acquire payment from the client. If you have any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.
Wait to land the accounts first

Hi!


I say wait to land the accounts first before you think about what equipment to get. You basically want to use what your client is using, not make the client switch around to your set-up. Maybe others will say differently. But I figure you save $ that way by not getting unnecessary stuff.


Good luck!


BTW, I was just reading that self-employed folks really need to increase their fees once a year just to keep up with inflation. I think a lot of times MTs who are ICs for services forget that the service is their client, not their boss. ICs need to negotiate for the right line rate because remember, you are paying for a lot out of your own pocket now.


Diane


If you use dial-up then yes you need a land line - sm
But you don't have to have long distance at all. I have 2 lines in our house, one is the main line with unlimited LD through Verizon, my other line (also Verizon) is just a connection at about $30 a month, no long distance on that line. I have AT&T as my internet provider, though may change my package now as I have one of those 875U aircards (also with AT&T, but could have used Sprint or Verizon if I wanted to) and not sure if when I connect with that it has any bearing on my unlimited package with my dial-up, so I might as well save some money and scale back on that charge. We have no package deals. I have a TracFone, my DH has a company cell phone that they pay for/handle. Your situation sounds a bit screwy; I'd investigate getting either a better deal or seperating everything and see if that works better.
I need a land line and I need it now-suggetions?

I moved and I can't get a land line for (perhaps) another week.  I've already lost a week's income because of the promblem (THANK YOU, CHARTER!!).  I need a quick fix.  I am open to any and all suggestions to getting set up on Friday with a land line or VoIP, even if it is with Vonage for a week until I get my land line phone to work with my DAC phone.  I just moved into this apartment on Monday, but I let Charter know on 1/4 that the previous tenant had turned in her keys, but until she pays the outstanding balance -- heck, she probably hasn't even gotten her final bill yet!!!), they put a "freeze" on phone service. I got that unfrozen yesterday by going into their main local office with my lease agreement, but I have already lost a weeks' pay because of this and I need a quick fix.  They installed my ISP and TV today. I REALLY need to work this weekend.


I am probably in real jeopordy of losing my job.


On top of this, when my son and his roommate came over last weekend to help me pack, they told me they had both lost their jobs to a family of Indians who had come in and bought out their store's owner.  By our State's examination, only one passed the English literacy exam so she is the only only who can answer the phone.  Since the 4 Indian brothers need the managers' positions and they bought 4 stores, 4 managers (my son any his roommate and 2 others) are out of jobs and another 25 or so have left because of the new managers' incompetence. 


Please offer help in getting a land line so I can work.  I am feeling so overwhelmed and it is hard to think with this kind of pressure.  I'm thinking of installing Vonage's VoIP for a week until Charter can get their act together and I get their service.  It's hard to reach other services like ATT when I don't have a phone to contact them.  Charter changed their protocol for getting land lines last week (just my luck) and did not tell my installer/sales rep of the changes.  They are telling the independent distributers it is because of having to reset 911.  I call that baloney.


Can I get a cell phone? How would that connection fit together? OMG, I am so in panic mode.  Please kick around some ideas so I don't have to start job hunting after 1 week after moving. 


Wow, you live in LALA land
You got I'm rich from my post-wow you are delusional. We live paycheck to paycheck like most of our friends and family, and yes we have health care coverage but over the years more and more of the cost of that had been switched to us rather than my husband's employer.  And I know more than 5 people in Canada and Europe who hate their national healthcare coverage.  Didn't know I needed to list them all.  Go back to lala land.
If it weren't for needing a land line for DSL
My cell phone is my primary phone and I have more minutes and free long distance than I can use per month. I got basic phone services and locked it from any LD calls to save money and my land line still costs $30 a month. I feel I'm wasting that money but there isn't anything I can do. I won't drop my cell phone because I have my kids on as extra lines and they wouldn't have a phone otherwise.
Wanting to land my own local account

I am currently working part time IC for two different people, I have a little less than one year transcription exp, all in family practive or GI...I have been thinking about trying to get my own account locally but not sure about some of the "in's and out's".  Those of you who do this, do you have someone who covers for you when you have to leave town?  I have always had someone to QA my work, so if I do my own account and have a question(blank) do  you call the office and ask or do you leave it blank?  I am kinda back and forth w/ the idea, I know I would make more money, but not sure if I want ALL the responsibility. 


No land line even? How far away from civilization will you be? Hospital?
s
7 years clinic experience and cannot land a job

Any suggestions??  I have 7 years clinic experience and am looking for work.  Seems like I cannot get a response back to test or interview.  I need a company that offers TAT, not set hours.  I send in resumes and cover letters daily...What else could I do??? 


Also, in the meantime does anyone have suggestions on "practice files".  I want to expand my skills/specialties.  I have not done radiology and have always wanted to get into it...Thanks for any advice!


Yeah, what land are they living in? Copy the page indicated - sm
and fax it to them. Also ask then where in the book does it say "non Hodgkin lymphoma". Too weird.
Internet service without land-line phone

I recently looked into this subject myself.  If you have Verizon available in your area, you can purchase a plan at about $55.00 per month with a two-year contract.  You will receive a card that you can insert into your laptop, which will provide you with unlimited Internet access at the speed of DSL.  As far as I know, there are no other cell service providers that have come up with this type of card yet, but I'm sure it's bound to happen in the future.  Another option is to purchase a satellite telephone and phone cards as you go along, but the cards are really outrageous in price.  One last thing that I would suggest is that you phone cell providers in your area to see if they have any technical gadgets you could attach to the cell phone for Internet access.  Many of the satellite phone companies have separate packages you can buy, which can be attached to laptops or PDAs.  I also have a TracPhone, so I know it does not come with hardware that will do the trick.


 


Good luck to you in setting everything up.  With the way that technology is moving, I'm sure there must be a way to accomplish what you want. 


If you have a cell phone, why not use that for your LD calls and CX the LD on the land line?
.
My aunt has extremely low rate for land, no frills but
I was told according to where you live- mine no frills over $30.00 a month but now say I can have a land phone, will not work, but still pay for it? Erks me.
Company states cannot use Vonage. Any suggestions for land line unlimited long distance? nm

Court?

Thought I had a great, lengthy report the other day, for it to be over 7 minutes of one physician talking with another about getting sued by a patient due to overmedicating - the patient overmedicated, but the doctor prescribed the meds.  Anyway - have any of you ever had to go to court and testify?  This, along with Dr.Infection (almost every report I get is someone who has had surgery and now is infected - and this is not an infectious disease physician but the surgeon), I am wondering if I will ever get called in.  I can't believe that none of these patient's are suing.  Just wanted to vent and get someone's take on this.


 


 


DMV/Traffic Court

Out here in CA, if you have unpaid tickets, a warrant is issued.  So when you show up at DMV or the court house, you most probably will have to pay right away or explain to a justice why you need an extension to pay.  They probably wont want to hear the argument that it was your sister cause you dont have proof.  You will be responsible and then you can kick your sisters butt or sue her. I have a friend who had outstanding speeding ticket and the cops came to her house, arrested her and she had to spend the weekend in jail till Monday when her boyfriend was able to bring the money to the court house. 


Out here, we have cameras at stop lights and on different roads..So when someone is exceeding the speed limit or goes through a red light, the camera takes a picture.  You never see an officer, you receive the ticket in the mail and they have the picture for proof.  Good luck to you. 


 


Court Hearings
I have been offered a job to supplement my medical transcription job. The job is transcribing court hearings.
court reporting
I have a friend who did court reporting for many years. She made excellent money, but had back trouble and neck, arm and carpal tunnel problems. The machine she had to tote around is quite heavy, even in a roller suitcase, was not easy, especially if elevators were out and she had to be on the third floor. Of course, no one ever offered to help her with the suitcase. She did her own editing and printing out of all her depositions and made probably $70,000 to $85,000 per year attending all the courts and taking depositions. She gave it up because of her hands and back and is now a paralegal. after going to college for that. She loved it though and used to call me for medical words she was stuck on....
Court Reporting
I actually graduated from CR school in Iowa and use my machine to transcribe.  I would never discourage anyone from trying, but be aware that is very difficult to learn and achieving speeds takes dedication and a lot of time and practice.  It sure isn't as easy as it looks, but the payoff is great in the end.  I couldn't transcribe w/out my machine!
COURT REPORTING???
Has anyone out there ever thought of going from being an MT to court reporting?  I have been transcribing for almost 15 years now.  I know that the pay scale is better for court reporters, and there are schools that offer on-line classes now.  I just wonder what the job prospects were.  I have only known 2 court reports and both of them were working as MTs.  Any info, anybody?  Thanks
court reporting
I often think about court reporting too. I was told just recently by a court reporter if I was going to do it to go into real time reporting, don't know much about it, other than it is doing caption work for live tv.
court reporting
She's right, there are no jobs...they're all held by people who have no intention of giving them up and the rest of the court reporters are doomed to working for services. How do I know? My daughter attended a local college for this, finished the course with excellent grades and looked for a job but could not find an opening within reasonable distance. Tuition is horribly expensive also, so she's now in debt to the tune of approximatey 14,000 dollars, luckily it's Sallie Mae and is at 2.12%. Don't do it! This job is just too hard on your body and mind (if you do get a job, all you'll be hearing is about murders, drug deals, divorces and child abuse), and who needs that? In West Virginia, a court reporter starts out at 13,000 a year -you could make that McDonald's, easy, without having to repay an education loan. The local college's ads say Make $60,000 a year your first year...that is also bs. It's more like $28,000.
why would YOU get called into court?
All you know is what is in the medical record. You have nothing else to do with it...
Court Reporting vs MT

Hello all !   Years ago I considered getting into court reporting, but back then I remember being told you only get paid PER PAGE/LINE, and not for your time in the court room when you're recording the cases. Recently I was told a court reporter gets anywhere from $3 to $5 per page.


Does anyone have any info on how payment for court reporters works? Is the above true?  I thought MT was a better-paying position, as the whole go-to-work-and-jot-down-the-text part was eliminated - and we (used to) make good money doing MT. 


Any info would be interesting! Thanks  !


Court reporting (see m)
Hi - if you work for a court, you are paid an annual salary plus benefits, starting around 50k per year, just for sitting in court and taking down the proceedings and even if no one orders a transcript. On top of that, you also get transcript fees (if anyone orders a transcript) of $3 to $5 per page and more if you provide RealTime. Most court days come out to about 250 pages of transcript, so if someone orders even the cheapest transcript that's $750 right there.

Court reporting is much more lucrative than MT if you can get a full-time job with a court.

If you freelance and take depositions, then you can charge the parties an appearance fee for showing up, plus the transcript per-page fee, but it's usually a bit less lucrative than a courthouse position.
court reporting
thanks for the info! It's a better position than I was aware !
Court action

I am not sure what your limit is for small claims court, it used to be $3500 here but know it has changed.   If it is more than one doctor in practice, you need to find out how they are listed through their business license, etc. through the state.  They helped me at the courthouse how to do this as it had to be listed exactly.  If you want to make a last ditch effort and make sure it isn't just the office manager that is not paying you, send a certified letter to each doctor that has to be signed by them and them only outlining what you will be doing and why.  You can act as your own collection agency instead of paying someone a commission to collect the money from you.   That is why I always keep on file a copy of their checking account number that they pay me on as I did sue once and we used it to collect the funds.  Also if the 7K is over the amount of small claims, then perhaps breaking out each individual doctor is under the amount.  But that is a pretty big amount and cannot believe that you let it go that high unless it is a large account and that is only one to two month's worth.  But again, try to get the correspondence directly to the docs as sometimes they do not know that the bill is going unpaid.   Good luck, let us know what happens.   Hopefully you are no longer providing service to this clinic.  Do some digging and get home address phone numbers if you are that gutsy and for that amount I would probably do it. 


Again, good luck.


 


 


Court transcription
Most of court recordinds are now done on CD's during the hearings.  If someone wants a transcript you can buy the CD.  I have done some when they were on tapes and they are not wasy to transcribe with voices coming over voices, not being able to hear clearly, etc.  A friend of mine works for an atty and she sometimes has to transcribe the CD's and she has torecord them over to tapes to transcribe -- now not sure if they would work with a .WAV pedal or not.  But again, it is worse than insurance depositions or interviews as someone is always talking over someone else and it is hard to place the microphone where everyone that says something says it.  And you never know when someone will want one transcribed.   I acatually got a CD from my divorce hearing. 
Court recordings

Well over half and probably 75% of court recordings are now on CD's as well as dispositions and are being transcribed only if necessary or requested and many times at home by some of us. 


Court Reporting
The poster is right in that it's a hard field to get into, at least in our area at the Courthouse, but there is always freelancing. You can make really good money if you're good. I do know that when I took ShortHand a long time ago (I was a legal secretary), there were court reporter students in the class and the machine looked really hard. You have to have tremendous speed. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
court reporting
I used to transcribe for a friend who was a court reporter and she did voice recording. This was 15 years ago though. She had a 2-track tape recorder. She would repeat everything being said in the courtroom into a small microphone, that I believe was almost like a mask. One track of the tape would record the court proceedings, and the other track would record her. I would transcribe the court proceedings, and if I could not understand something, I would switch to the other track, and it would be her repeating the testimony, etc. Not sure if they even do this anymore, but she made a lot of money at the time.
court reporting

 


Recently there had been an ad in our local paper for a full-time court reporter for the superior court in our local area.  It was advertised at $78,000 per year with full federal benefits, and bonus days off like President's day (when was the last time a MT got paid for being off on President's Day?)   Again, I too pick the wrong career and should have went into court reporting but at that time (in 1976) there was not a lot of interest in that field so I just went into transcription training and here I am 30 years later.  Can you still teach an old dog new tricks?


 


 


Court reporting
Yes, I've been through CR school. If you want to do it, go for it, but fair warning...you have to be married to that machine and have no life outside of it until your graduate. I agree with the other poster...it is extremely difficult, and unless you can dedicate 100% of your time to it, it's near impossible to make it through the course.
court reporting
I spent almost 3 years in CR school, was about to graduate and began to hate every minute I was chained to that machine. The school also had a MT program, so most of my credits transferred. Of the people that I knew who did go on to that career were disappointed with the money. Be careful researching this career and make sure you really want to do it. You really are a slave to that machine in court.
Took MTSO to court. sm
She only owed me a little, but refused to pay. Left post if I should sue or not, and I did!!!

Lawyer is waiting for check from MTSO, so I should get it shortly thereafter. Who knew???
MT to court reporter?

Does anyone have experience with CR training?  Anyone made the transition from MT to CR, or the other way around?  I am looking into this as an alternative to MT.  My chief regret is that it is rather late in life for me to invest in expensive/lengthy training.  I should have seen the writing on the wall long before this, as far as MT is concerned. 


My post on a court reporter board met with thundering disinterest...not a single reply.  Would appreciate input on this if anyone has first or even secondhand experience.