Policies & Additional Information for Legal Transcripts
Proofreader's Preferences Questionnaire
This is your transcript and is a reflection of you as a professional. Please complete this questionnaire; it should take less than five minutes and you only have to complete it once. I'll keep it on file for your future transcripts.
Confidentiality
All transcripts, regardless of the case's status, will be kept confidential. I will not share them with anyone without your express written authorization.
Turnaround Time
Standard turnaround time is 3 days for up to 300 pages. A "day" is a 24-hour period. So, if I get your transcript on Tuesday, I'll have it back to you by end of business day Friday. Anything less than that is considered expedited.
If that doesn't work, let's talk about what you need and when you need it. Generally, I don't work on weekends, and if I'm not otherwise occupied, I'm happy to work on your project. I don't have an upcharge for working weekends.
Audio Spot-checking
At this time, I do not offer services including audio. I look forward to adding that in Q4 2025.
Final Product Returned to You
All transcripts are to be submitted to me in TXT or ASCII format. In return, I'll your transcript in PDF format with in-line suggested corrections in hard brackets with red font.
Invoicing and Payment
For our first transcript, I'll invoice you immediately. For repeat clients, I send invoices on the 15th of each month and payment is due immediately.
Currently, I accept payment via Venmo (preferred) and PayPal. With PayPal, you are responsible for the service fees. I will add PayPal's 3% fee as a separate line item to your invoice.
Excessive Errors Surcharge
Proofreading is the final step the process where there should be, on average, no more than four errors per page. If I notice excessive errors, I will notify you. I will continue proofreading and add a $0.25/page surcharge to your invoice. If you prefer, you can submit an update transcript but you must notify me immediately.
Dense Material Surcharge
The average legal transcript has 25 lines per page. If your transcript has more lines per page for any reason, I will notify you. I will continue proofreading and add a $0.15/page surcharge to your invoice. If you prefer, you can submit an updated transcript and you must notify me immediately.
Complex Content Surcharge
Some cases, like financial or securities cases, are inherently more complex and difficult to understand than others. If I find the content of the transcript dense or unusually difficult to follow, I will notify you. I will continue proofreading and add a $0.25/page surcharge to your invoice. If you do not want to pay the surcharge, you must notify me immediately to stop work and you can contact a different proofreader.
Records Maintenance
Transcripts, with and without suggested changes, will be maintained on a cloud server for six (6) months from date of the assignment's completion. After that time, they will be permanently deleted without giving clients prior notice.
Policies & Additional Information for All Other Document Types
Turnaround Time
Let's talk about what you need and when you need it. Generally, I don't work on weekends and at the same time, I understand emergencies arise. I am happy to accommodate you however I can.
Final Product Returned to You
I prefer to work with Word or Google Docs. When I am done, the entire work will be returned to you with suggested changes. When using Word, you will receive a clean copy, with all changes accepted, and a marked copy. In Google Docs, you will see where suggested changes are made.
If you want to submit in PDF, that is fine. The return product will include highlighting and annotations indicating what change needs to be made and you will be responsible for making the changes.
Need a Style Guide or Style Sheet?
What's a style sheet? A style sheet identifies how you want to communicate with the public. Are numbers spelled out or are numerals used? What font is used for text and headings? What editing style (Chicago Manual of Style, APA, or MLA) is used?
If you do not have a style sheet, My Proofreader will help create one! As your business grows, the style sheet can be updated to accommodate.
For authors, it is a little different and sometimes called a style guide. Who are the characters in your book? How are their names spelled? What cities are referenced? How are dates and times handled? If you do not have a style guide, My Proofreader will help create one!
The fee for a Style Sheet or Style Guide is $150.00, in addition to proofreading costs.
Invoicing and Payment
Invoices will be sent upon completion, and payment is due immediately.
Currently, I accept payment via Venmo (preferred) and PayPal. With PayPal, you are responsible for the service fees. I will add PayPal's 3% fee as a separate line item to your invoice.
Records Maintenance
All work, with and without suggested changes, will be maintained on a cloud server for six (6) months from date of the assignment's completion. After that time, they will be permanently deleted without giving clients prior notice.