FAQ's For Court Reporters and Lawyers
Scheduling
How do I schedule a deposition in another country?
We are happy to schedule a court reporter, conference facility and/or videographer in another country to serve your needs. In some cases, there may be no court reporters available in the particular country your witness is located in. In that case, we can make arrangements to fly a court reporter and/or videographer in from another area.
At Kruse & Associates, Ltd. we have extensive reporting experience in the following countries: Italy, Germany, Japan, France and Korea.
Other issues to be aware of are: Service of process, swearing in the witness, and appropriateness of depositions in a particular country.
Service of Process - If your witness is not a "friendly" witness, you will need to contact the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Embassy in the country where the witness is located to ascertain what treaties apply and under what circumstances and how local residents may be compelled to attend a deposition.
Swearing in the Witness - Court reporters are not authorized to administer an oath on foreign soil but are allowed to adminster an oath at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy because it is considered U.S. soil. However, generally the official from the U.S. Consulate where most depositions are held will perform this service. You will need to contact the local U.S. Embassy to ascertain their practices.
Appropriateness of Depositions Outside the United States - Some countries do not recognize depositions as an appropriate procedure under their legal system, for example, Switzerland and Poland. Therefore, you will need to contact the U.S. Department of State or local U.S. Embassy to confirm that depositions can be held in the country in which your witness resides. Sometimes witnesses are willing to travel to neighboring countries that DO recognize depositions as an appropriate procedure under their legal system.
I need to schedule a videoconference with Japan. Are your offices open at 2:00 a.m.? - Kruse & Associates, Ltd. offers videoconferencing services to available sites around the globe every day. We are happy to handle your videoconference no matter what area of the world you are connecting to and what time it is in your local office.
Can you cover jobs out of state? Yes! We have established network relationships with multiple court reporting agencies all over the world. Just call our office and provide us with your deposition requirements and we'll take it from there! You can be assured that when you are scheduling an out-of-state deposition, Kruse & Associates, Ltd. will network the job so that you are paying the customary fees in that region; you will not be hit with upcharges for your transcript. Under our Fair Billing Process, Kruse and Associates, Ltd. does not accept a cut of the billings just because you need to take a deposition out of state!
Court Reporting
I need a notary. Are Illinois court reporters notaries? No, not necessarily. By statute, Illinois court reporters are allowed to administer an oath without being notaries.
Administering an oath during a telephonic deposition - Court reporters must be in the same room as the witness and therefore cannot swear a witness over the telephone. So please bear that in mind when scheduling. Either schedule the deponent and the witness for the same location, or have a notary present at the witness' location to administer the oath!
What is the turnaround time for deposition transcripts? Our standard turnaround time is approximately 10 business days. Please notify your reporter at the close of proceedings -- or sooner if you know -- what your required delivery schedule is. Please let us know when you schedule your deposition if you will require rough ascii, realtime or immediate copy!
Billing/Invoicing
What is Kruse & Associates, Ltd. Tax ID? Our tax ID number is 36-4074860. You can also find this number on every invoice and statement.
Do you accept credit cards? Yes. We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
Where do we send payments? Please submit all payments to our Chicago office at 180 North LaSalle Street, Suite 3700, Chicago, Illinois 60601.
Technology and Video
What is a rough ASCII? A rough ASCII is a deposition transcript that is unedited and uncertified by the court reporter. It is replaced by the edited certified final ASCII of the transcript. Please be aware that you cannot use a rough transcript to cite in briefs or impeach a witness; it is only for the purpose of augmenting counsel's notes.
Is there a difference between e-trans and e-mail of a txt? Yes. E-Trans (or a PTX file) is an E-Transcript. A TXT file is simply a file in ASCII format that may be imported into Word, wordPerfect or a similar application.
What is interactive realtime? Interactive realtime is facilitated by a variety of proprietary software that gives an attorney the opportunity to view the testimony live on their computer, with special features for scrolling, searching, annotating and issue coding testimony. Please call in advance of proceedings to schedule this service. Training is available, along with courtesy laptop computers.
What is remote interactive realtime? Remote interactive realtime, or streaming text through the internet, allows co-counsel the same opportunity to view proceedings live from the comfort of their own office by signing on to a secure website. It is effective in conserving legal budgets, as it alleviates the need for travel costs.
What is the difference between MPEG1 and an MPEG2 video? Simply put, an MPEG2, or movie DVD, can be played on any television DVD player just like you would play a video VHS tape. An MPEG1 file is a requirement for litigation support and trial presentation programs that allow the transcript text to be synchronized with the video.