Do you have a minimum appearance? minimum transcript? late cancel fee?
All of these things should be considered when making your rate sheet to share with clients, whether counsel or agency.
The theory behind this is simple: You have an expectation of a certain amount of time on the record, which will then create an anticipated number of pages, which in turn leads to a certain amount of fee. If you don't meet the time on record, you also don't meet the pages. But likely, you've taken yourself off calendar for the rest of the day and your earning capacity has lessened.
What's your time worth?
What about the days when you log on to a Zoom depo (or in the olden days, drove to the depo site) only to be told that it wasn't going forward? That's a lot of effort you undertook to get to the assignment - whether it's travel, personal hygiene, or job prep by making a dictionary and looking up the players. You're also pretty much precluded from working another assignment that day unless some magical emergency pops up.
What's your time worth?
Consider adding these items to your job sheet. When you have an assignment like mine today, on record for 1 hour, you'll feel a little better about that minimum billing and taking the rest of the day to work on other things.
Be your own best advocate.
You all know I love giving back... and I've been speaking at the local law school for many years now, sharing with the students who will be future litigators how they can work WITH court reporters to create a truly excellent record.
I love doing this - and if you have the chance, please consider doing it in your area. The "baby" lawyers appreciated it and the next generation of court reporters will too!
We all love rituals - girls nights, massages, regular workouts... but what about our working rituals?
Do you have any that ease you into your productivity? Perhaps alleviate any anxiety?
Our job as a stenographer (or captioners) is filled with stressors and if we can develop rituals for ourselves to help limit those stresses, think how healthy, happy, and productive we can become?!
I love this profession... and I love sharing it. Wherever you are, in whatever period in your career you find yourself, be an amazing advocate! Introduce people to this incredible opportunity for someone who loves English, the law, computers, learning... Be the little pebble that creates the ripple in the pond!
