Free realtime in Texas?

[Lindsay Pinkham]

I'm a depo reporter in L.A.  I just finished a realtime depo where opposing counsel, One Christopher G. Lyster from Lacy Lyster Malone & Steppick in Fort Worth, Texas, stated that his reporting agency always gave him realtime for free.  He had never been billed for it.  I replied that I found that hard to believe, but he stuck by it.  Anybody work for the agency that does reporting for this form?  Are you really giving it away for free??!!

[kathy - iamwrdsmth]

Yup, I definitely want to be on your team, Kellie!!!

[kathy - iamwrdsmth]

Kellie, I want to be on your team!!!!

[Diane Richer]

I am in Houston.   Never heard of this law firm in Fort Worth.   It is standard to charge for RealTime services in Texas.  No reporters that I know of give it away free.   Maybe he is just testing you to see what he can get free by making such a statement.  

   

[Rebecca Callow]

I too am in Texas.  Austin.  Halfway between Houston and Dallas.  We don't give it away here either.  

Although I will say that I have experienced myself, and heard from others, that many attorneys in the Dallas/Fort Worth area want EVERYTHING for free.  

[Amanda Leigh]

The agency was in Fort Worth.  It's been several years ago.  I think they were bought out--but maybe still providing free realtime.  Of course, I could be dreaming the whole thing, but I don't think so.

[Quyen]

Speaking of free stuff, what do y'all think of a free rough (included) in providing real time? Let's say it's $50/page for real time and the attorney(s) want a rough, too, but it's still $50/page. I know that's, obviously, an unreal page rate, since we can't discuss rates.

[Lindsay Pinkham]

Quyen - I"m going to start a whole new thread on this.

[kathy - iamwrdsmth]

Lindsay, where's the "whole new thread" on this topic?

I'd like to follow along.

tks

kathy

[Lindsay Pinkham]

I started it on 3-9-17.  It's called "Realtime Plus Rough Drafts."  It's gotten some views but no one's replied!

[kathy - iamwrdsmth]

and my understanding, Quyen, is roughs are charged per page.

realtime is per hour, roughs are per page, and nothing is free.

Who has given the attys the idea that reporters' skills are free?

[Lindsay Pinkham]

At least in Southern California, both RT and roughs are charged per page.  I freelance for about 40 agencies, and I can't think of any that charge an hourly rate.  Some also charge the atty (and pay the rptr) a fee for getting the RT, but it's still a page rate after that.

[Quyen]

Kathy, I see that you are in California, so am I.  I have never been aware of real time being charged by the hour. Both real time and roughs are on a per-page basis.  I am aware that some agencies are not paying the reporter for the rough when real time is provided, and the rough is INCLUDED in the real-time charge, with no increase in the real-time rate. I think this "bundling" of services hurts the reporters. How are we to know that the agency is not charging the client for the rough and not paying the reporter? Even if the agency does not charge the client for the rough, why are we allowing our hard work to be given away for free???