FAQ

To schedule, we need a few basic details about your proceeding. Please provide:

Required Information

• Attorney name
• Firm name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Preferred date and start time (Eastern Time)
• Location — street address, remote, or conference center name
• Expected duration — Most of the day / 3–5 hours / 1–2 hours / Less than 1 hour / Not sure

Use the Schedule form or contact Elizabeth McAvoy directly at emcavoy@bostonreporters.com or 617-871-6000.

Use our Quote form and provide the following:

Type of Proceeding

• Deposition — Standard Deponent
• Deposition — Expert Witness
• Arbitration
• Hearing
• Trial
• Other

Scenario

• In-person
• All remote
• Hybrid

Likely Pages and Hours

Provide your best estimate of expected transcript pages and total proceeding hours.

Professionals Needed

• Court reporter
• Videographer
• Interpreter

Transcripts and Delivery Options

• Rough transcript
• Rough-with-audio (audio sync)
• Rough-with-video (video sync)
• Expedited delivery — Next day / 2-day / 3-day / 4-day / 5-day / 6-day
• Bundles — 3-day / 6-day
• Realtime
• Remote platform hosting and tech support

Please send notice as soon as possible so we can confirm your reporter and logistics.

Type of Proceeding

• Deposition — Standard Deponent
• Deposition — Expert Witness
• Arbitration
• Hearing
• Trial
• Other

Case Details (Required)

• Case caption
• Deponent / witness name
• Attorney name
• Firm name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Date and start time (Eastern Time)
• Location (street address, remote, or conference center)

Optional

• Mobile number
• Firm address
• Paralegal name and email

Professionals Needed

• Court reporter
• Videographer
• Interpreter

Transcripts and Delivery Options

• Rough transcript
• Rough-with-audio (audio sync)
• Rough-with-video (video sync)
• Expedited delivery — Next day / 2-day / 3-day / 4-day / 5-day / 6-day
• Bundles — 3-day / 6-day
• Realtime
• Remote platform hosting and tech support

Payment

Credit card may be called in to secure the booking. Invoices are due Net 30 from receipt of the certified transcript. Note: realtime and rough transcript costs are in addition to any expedited or standard certified transcript fees.

The post-deposition order form is pre-filled with information from your original order. Simply fill in any missing fields and correct any errors you see.

Case Details (pre-filled from Order Before)

• Case caption pre-filled
• Deponent / witness name pre-filled
• Attorney name pre-filled
• Firm name pre-filled
• Firm address pre-filled
• Email address pre-filled
• Phone number pre-filled
• Date and start time (EST) pre-filled

Optional

• Paralegal name and email

Professionals and Delivery Options (pre-filled selections shown)

• Court reporter / Videographer / Interpreter pre-filled
• Standard 8-business-day certified transcript pre-filled
• Rough transcript
• Rough-with-audio (audio sync)
• Rough-with-video (video sync)
• Expedited delivery — Next day / 2-day / 3-day / 4-day / 5-day / 6-day
• Bundles — 3-day / 6-day
• Realtime
• Remote platform hosting and tech support

Use the Order After form to submit.

For complete, itemized pricing — including appearance fees, rough drafts, realtime, video services, and cancellation policies — see our 2026 Rates & Fees page.

Quick Reference — Certified Transcript

• Standard 8 business days — $4.25/page (standard deponent) or $4.75/page (expert witness)
• Standard delivery — 8–10 business days
• Expedited — We can deliver to any date you choose. Surcharges range from +40% (6 days) to +90% (next day).

We set up a Zoom link 1–2 days prior to the proceeding and distribute it to all parties. Our digital reporter monitors the session and manages exhibits remotely — displaying and tracking them as the proceeding progresses.

For any technical questions or platform support, please contact Elizabeth McAvoy at emcavoy@bostonreporters.com.

BCR handles all common legal proceeding formats, in any scenario:

• PDF — full-page or condensed (multiple pages per sheet)
• E-Tran — electronic transcript format compatible with most litigation support software
• TXT — plain text
• Hard copy — mailed upon request

Q: Do you offer realtime?

Yes. BCR offers AI-assisted realtime transcription with quality comparable to Google Meet’s live captions — attorneys can follow along on a laptop or tablet as the proceeding unfolds. Our reporter also takes realtime notes and captures spellings during the deposition. High-quality recordings are then fully transcribed after the proceeding for the certified transcript.

Q: Are you transcribing from a recording?

Yes. Historically, BCR transcribed post-deposition from high-quality multi-channel audio recordings. Since January 2026, transcription now begins during the deposition — enabling faster rough draft and expedited delivery without sacrificing accuracy.

Q: Are you recording when not on the record?

No. Recordings are paused whenever the proceeding goes off the record. Our reporter always announces “on the record” and “off the record” clearly so all parties know when recording is active.

Q: Can we have the same reporter for all days?

Generally yes, with sufficient advance notice. Consistency is further guaranteed by assigning the same transcriber across all days of the same case — so the person producing your certified transcript is intimately familiar with the terminology, spellings, and witnesses throughout.

Q: Stenographer vs. digital reporter — does it matter?

A stenographer is not required in Massachusetts. Digital court reporting is fully accepted and produces a legally certified verbatim transcript. BCR’s digital reporters deliver the same realtime feed quality as stenographers — but at a lower per-matter cost.

Q: What does BCR provide end-to-end?

BCR manages the full lifecycle of a proceeding:

• Scheduling and logistical coordination
• Reporter support on the day
• Exhibit management (display, tracking, scanning, and delivery)
• Realtime feed, rough draft, rough-with-audio, rough-with-video, and certified transcript delivery
• Post-deposition support: read-and-sign, errata sheets, exhibit delivery, and scheduling of the next session

Q: Standard turnaround?

8 business days from the date of the proceeding. Standard delivery is 8–10 business days. Expedited delivery is available to any date you need, from next-day to 6-day delivery. See the 2026 Rates & Fees page for expedited surcharges.

Rough drafts are completed within 6 to 24 hours. We sync the audio or video to the rough within minutes of completion and deliver the synced transcript shortly thereafter.

Q: When can we have the rough?

Same day for depositions under 2 hours. Next day for longer proceedings. The typical transcription-to-recording ratio is approximately 3:1 — three hours of transcription for every one hour of recorded proceeding.

Q: Can we receive certified transcript next day?

Possibly, depending on the proceeding’s length and complexity. Typically 2 business days is the practical minimum for a certified transcript with full proofreading. Contact us to confirm availability for your specific proceeding.

Q: How soon for video after a videographer-recorded proceeding?

Video delivery timelines must be confirmed directly with the videographer. Contact us at booking and we will coordinate the timeline on your behalf.

Q: How soon for rough-with-audio?

Next day in most cases. The audio-synced rough transcript links each line of text to the corresponding audio timestamp, making it easy to navigate long depositions.

Q: How soon for rough-with-video?

For Zoom depositions: within an hour of the proceeding’s conclusion. The video-synced rough includes:

• An easy-to-read transcript linked line-by-line to the video feed
• A summary linked to the transcript text
• Chapters organized by topic for rapid navigation, also linked to the transcript text

With a videographer, in-person rough-with-video is still in development — we will coordinate the timeline with your videographer directly.

Q: When are exhibits delivered?

Yes. Exhibits are typically delivered as PDFs via secure email along with the certified transcript, unless the attorney has elected to retain the original hard copies. Physical exhibits are scanned in our office and originals are returned by mail as soon as possible after scanning.

Q: Who typically holds exhibits?

BCR / the reporter retains custody of exhibits as the default, unless the attorney decides to retain them. Exhibits held by BCR are securely scanned in our office, then either stored or returned to the appropriate party.

Q: How does the reporter verify exhibits when an expert or attorney holds them?

The reporter reviews each exhibit during the deposition — noting spellings, dates, document titles, and key terms — before the exhibit is passed to the witness or retained by the attorney. This ensures the exhibit record is accurate regardless of who holds the originals.

Q: When are exhibits returned?

Mailed back as soon as possible after scanning. All exhibits are scanned in our office for the record, then stored securely or returned promptly.

What the Label Includes

• Exhibit number or letter
• Date of the deposition
• Witness’s last name
• Reporter’s initials

Where Labels Are Placed

Labels are affixed in the bottom right-hand corner, or the best available spot that does not obscure any content on the document.

If the Attorney Provides Labels

Please provide the reporter with the order in which labels and exhibits are to be admitted. This ensures the exhibit record matches the proceeding sequence exactly.

BCR pioneered digital court reporting in Massachusetts. Every proceeding is captured in high-fidelity multi-channel audio (plus video when requested), monitored by a trained digital reporter, and processed with specialized transcription software and meticulous proofreading.

Key Advantages

• Accuracy — Full recording plus real-time notes. Any unclear passage can be played back to confirm the record.
• Speed — Our team begins transcription immediately after the proceeding. Rough drafts and same- or next-day delivery are standard options.
• Cost — Lower per-matter costs than traditional steno-only firms. You pay only for the services you need.
• Realtime feed — Follow along on your laptop or tablet during the proceeding.
• Flexible delivery — Rough transcript, audio-synced rough, video-synced rough, standard certified, or expedited certified to any date.

Unlike traditional steno-only firms, BCR was built digital-first from the ground up.

The following data is drawn from the Speech-To-Text Institute 2022 Study, an independent industry survey of litigators and court reporting professionals.

Rough Audio Sync is a time-coded rough transcript electronically linked to the deposition audio, so clicking any line takes you to that exact point in the recording. You rehear the witness verbatim — the direct, unfiltered, real-life, verifiable record of what was said, who said it, and how it was said. You hear their emotions, tone and inflection, loudness or quietness, directness or evasiveness. Ideal for overlapping speech or disputed words.

Rough Video Sync is a rough transcript linked to Zoom video and audio, so clicking a line lets you rewatch the witness at that exact moment. For Zoom and hybrid depositions, sync to video for body language insights — rewatch exact moments, revealing facial expressions, body language, and hesitations that text alone misses. You read, rehear, and rewatch — ideal for impeachment prep and streamlining clip creation.

A synced rough lets attorneys jump directly from text to the exact testimony, which improves verification, speeds review, and adds tone, pauses, and context that plain text alone cannot provide. You rehear or rewatch the direct, unfiltered, real-life, verifiable record of what was said, who said it, and how it was said. Ideal for overlapping speech, disputed words, and coordinating impeachment prep.

No. Rough Video Sync is available for remote and hybrid depositions where Zoom video is present. It is not offered for fully in-person depositions without video. For in-person depositions, Rough Audio Sync delivers the same click-to-hear capability with a 98%-accurate rough transcript linked to the audio recording.

1. Deposition takes place
2. Digital reporter captures multichannel audio in real time
3. Rough transcript is created and time-coded to the audio
4. You click any line in your rough transcript
5. You instantly hear that exact testimony in the witness’s own voice

1. Zoom remote or hybrid deposition takes place
2. BCR captures Zoom video and audio
3. Rough transcript is synced to the exact video frame
4. You click any line in your rough transcript
5. You instantly rewatch that exact testimony

We charge a travel fee based on the reporter’s actual travel costs for that day. For travel of 10 or more miles outside Boston, we charge $0.70/mile plus $50/hour of travel time. If the reporter must pay for parking (e.g., downtown Boston), we charge $50/day for parking. If the reporter does not have their own car, we charge a flat $50/day toward Uber/Lyft transportation. We always notify clients of any travel fee in advance.

Our cancellation fee applies when a deposition is cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled start time. The fee covers the court reporter’s scheduled appearance for that day. We always remind clients of the cancellation policy and ask for notice before the 24-hour deadline.

• In-person deposition: $300
• Remote deposition: $250

A no-show deposition occurs when both the court reporter and the scheduling attorney appear, but the witness (and often their attorney) do not. We recommend the scheduling attorney go on record to document the witness’s non-appearance, and BCR provides a certified non-appearance transcript.

• In-person non-expert deposition: minimum fee $400 (transcript + reporter appearance)
• Remote non-expert deposition: minimum fee $350 (transcript + reporter appearance)

Boston Court Reporters was founded in 2007 as the first digital court reporting company in Massachusetts — offering both stenographic and digital reporting from day one.

In 2025, BCR transitioned to 100% digital services, and today is the first and only fully digital court reporting company in Massachusetts.

Over nearly two decades, BCR has handled thousands of proceedings across the state — depositions, arbitrations, EUOs, municipal meetings, trials, and hearings — for attorneys at firms of every size.

Questions? Contact Elizabeth McAvoy: emcavoy@bostonreporters.com | 617-871-6000

Digital court reporting is filling the need left by the stenographer shortage and will continue replacing stenography. The reasons are structural:

• The average age of working stenographers is approximately 60 — they are aging out of the profession
• They are not being replaced at the same rate
• The number of stenography training facilities has significantly decreased
• Student enrollment is at an all-time low
• Attrition is approximately 90%
• Certification takes two to four years
• Equipment and membership costs are high
• The accuracy of certified official transcripts is identical between stenography and digital reporting

Founded in 2007, Boston Court Reporters was the first digital reporting company in Massachusetts. Today, it is the only fully digital reporting company in the state.