Carolyn Bodley - Legal Verbatim Transcriptionist of Audio, Video & Digital Files

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Friday, January 7, 2011

It's my time, my business, my rules ...

argue.jpgI began working for myself for a number of reasons -- one of the reasons, however, was not to let someone tell me what I am going to do for them! Generally, I do try to accommodate most people, but I refuse to drop everything and turn my own life upside down because of someone's lack of planning and now it it my emergency; or someone that thinks I have nothing better to do than jump when they tell me; or or someone who believes they are sitting in the seat to call all the shots. 

 

I ushered in the New Year with a cold -- hopefully, now that I'm on the downhill side of feeling like "ick", it will be my one cold of the year and I won't be due for another until the year 2012. Besides doing transcription and other legal/secretarial projects, I am also a Notary Public for the general public. For about five years in the yearly 2000's, I also went to homes and witnessed/notarized home refinance loans. When the bottom fell out of everything in 2008, I wanted to be as far away from that part of my business as I could get. I'm happy to say that now I only do notarizations for the public -- no home purchases, no refi's, no loan mods ... 

 

Last night around 7:00, I receive a call from a woman needing child guardianship papers notarized. She said she needed them done last night or first thing in the morning. I advised that I was unavailable last night and I could notarize the papers at 10:00 tomorrow morning (this morning). She proceeds to tell me that she wanted to make an appointment for exactly 10:00 and that it couldn't be a minute later. Usually, I love general notary work because the people are really great people and really appreciative. Right off, I didn't like this woman -- I didn't like the tone of her voice, and I didn't like her domination approach. Remember, it's my business, my notary embosser/stamp, my playground ... make an appointment with a doctor -- sure, you will get there at your appointment time of 10:00, but you will sit there for at least 15 or more minutes. Unless you have 50 pages that need notarized, the entire process won't take 5 minutes. However, I bit my tongue and kept what I wanted to tell the woman inside my mouth and made the appointment for 10:00.

 

Less than 5 minutes later the woman calls back. I let it go into voice mail. I waited a few hours before I listened to the message. She says that she absolutely has to have the papers notarized tonight or before 7:00 in the morning because the attorney needed to have them served and for me to call her back. WHAT CHANGED FROM MY CONVERSATION FIVE MINUTES EARLIER -- where I told her that I was not available until 10:00 in the morning?--why does she now still feel that she can come to me tonight or before 7:00 a.m.? If her and her attorney are that much under the gun, why didn't she go to the attorney's office where there is a notary?

 

I don't know what happened with the guardianship papers or the woman -- I don't even care. I know that it sounds flaky, but treat people with respect -- especially, if you are the one needing something from the other person. Don't force yourself and "tell" them that this is how it's going to happen -- AT LEAST DON'T DO IT WITH ME BECAUSE IF YOU DO, THE DOOR OR THE PHONE WILL SLAM IN YOUR FACE AND EAR.

[end of blog]

3:37 pm mst 


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With a typing speed of 120 wpm, Carolyn Bodley began offering independent contractor/secretarial and transcription services to the Denver metro legal community in 1992.

I am not a court reporter or medical transcriptionist and I don't videotape depositions -- I'm strictly a legal transcriptionist which means putting spoken words on paper. All my transcripts contain a certification stating that to the best of my knowledge, belief and ability, the audio/video I received has not been altered in any way, and the transcript is true, accurate and complete. I have never been advised that a court rejected one of my audio or video transcripts. If my transcript is rejected by the court, you will be reimbursed in full for my services. Because I certify that the transcript is true and complete, the entire audio/video must be transcribed--I am unable to transcribe "just a portion" that you need. 

I guarantee that your transcripts will be typed confidentially, accurately and with attention to detail at a fair price.
 

  • Discovery is often turned over in a format other than hard copy. This discovery includes, but is not limited to, recorded telephone conversations, police interviews, depositions, investigations, witness statements, and more. The audio and video "words" need to be put to paper, and your already overworked legal staff often don't have the skills, equipment, the inclination or the time.
  • Discovery is often the deciding factor of whether a case goes to trial. Most of us hear, but do we listen? Recently I transcribed a video that had been viewed and listened to several times and by several people before I transcribed it. There was a one sentence statement that not one person caught -- this one sentence was not the only reason the case was dismissed one day before trial--however, it carried quite a bit of weight -- and I'm the only one that "heard" it. Had the video never been transcribed, how many other words would never have been heard?

Add-On Services:

  • laser color printing
  • laminating
  • spiral binding
  • proofreading/editing your work product

Your Documents are Your Reputation ...
Making Them Look Good is Mine!©1992-2016 Carolyn Bodley


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