PAGE RATES

[Marla Sharp]

Do you freelance for lots of agencies? Do you always ask for the page rates up front? What page rates are others getting? How different is LA from OC from San Francisco from San Diego? What's the average per diem for arbitrations or hearings? What do other gets per hour for overtime or waiting time or exhibit marking time? What's the average minimum transcript rate? We should be talking about these things.

[Marla Sharp]

I've compiled a spreadsheet of rates I've gotten while working in LA. There are definitely agencies who pay less than what's on my spreadsheet, but I don't work for them. I'm curious if this is similar to what everyone else is getting. I'll attach it as an Excel spreadsheet, but I'm also pasting it here:
RATE OF RATES IN L.A.
P.I. PAGE RATE:  $3.70 to 4.00
BUSINESS LIT RATE:  $3.85 to 4.30
MEDICAL/TECHNICAL RATE:  $4.00 to 4.60
COPY:  $1.00 to 1.50
ROUGH:  $1.00 to 1.25
LIVENOTE:  $1.00 to 1.50 or a per diem
RUSH:  10% extra each day
EXTRA FOR INTERPRETED DEPO:  $.25/pg to 10% extra to $110 per diem
EXTRA FOR VIDEOTAPED DEPO:  $.25/pg to $1/pg or 10% extra or $110 per diem
MINIMUM TRANSCRIPT FEE:  $175 to 200
ARBITRATION PER DIEM:  $300 to 375 (full day)  $150 to 175 (half day)
APPEARANCE FEE, NO CERT:  $100 to 125
CERTIFICATE OF NONAPPEARANCE:  $125 to 150
AFTERHOURS (before 9 or after 5):  $35 to 50/hr
TURNAROUND:  8 to 10 bus. days
PRINTING PREFERENCES:  Email transcript and ship exhibit and cert pgs to agency

[Marla Sharp]

Here's the spreadsheet.

[Marla Sharp]

Veronica, when you say "when you look at some of the formats I've run across," doesn't San Francisco have to abide by the same code we do: 56 characters per line, 52 characters for video, and 25 lines per page?

[Marla Sharp]

Hey, Veronica. I block indent all my parentheticals and exhibit markings ten spaces. Here's what 2473(a)(9) of the code says:

"Parenthetical and exhibit markings of two lines or more shall be no less than 35 characters per line."
http://www.courtreportersboard.ca.gov/lawsregs/mtfs.pdf

[Marla Sharp]

Changing the characters to 52 from 56 allows for room outside the box for the time codes. Depending on if you have the codes on the left or right, the box needs to shrink. Don't you change your margins for video jobs? If you're on Eclipse, I can help you.

[kathy - iamwrdsmth]

Marla,
It is good to see that the page rates have gone up since I was
doing depos.
when I was doing depos in 2001, 2002, page rates were $3 in OC
and $3 .25 in LA
the most i ever got for a depo was 3.85 for worker's comp (see how long ago that was?)

kathy

[Gail Berardino]

Hi, everyone,

The last post regarding page rates is from 2009, nine years ago.  I am interested in more current page-rate information.  I am currently getting $3.50/page for PI, $3.75 for everything else except Workers' Comp. 

Is that the usual rate in LA?  

Thanks,

Gail

[Carmen Hunter]

Marla:

I've been an LA reporter for approximately ten years and I agree that it's important to talk about page rates. I never understood why it was such a big secret. I always ask for page rates up front. The only time I have ever taken a job without knowing what the rate was, was when it was sooo super slow, that something was waaay better than nothing.

OC tends to be lower than LA. I have told agencies I work for that I don't mind traveling to OC, but that I expect to get paid LA rates. I don't see the sense in driving farther away to get paid less. If they're in a bind, they'll pay it.

It's interesting to see the rates you have posted. I have never gotten paid more than 3.70 for PI. The highest rate I've worked for for business depos was/is 3.85 and for experts 4.15. I would be interested to work for agencies with that kind of page rate if you're comfortable with sharing that.

And to reply to Veronica's statement about San Francisco paying less: In So. Cal, it's the norm to have the original stipulated away to opposing counsel who maintains custody of the original. Opposing counsel, therefore, "gets away" with not ordering a copy. That seems to not be the case in No. Cal. Up north, there is no stip and the original is maintained by the court reporter. Opposing counsel, therefore, needs to order a copy if he needs one.

So the trend in No. Cal is that the reporter will walk out with at least an O&2. A So. Cal reporter will at least walk out with an O&1. That is the logic behind the difference in rates. So. Cal charges more for the lost copy order. At least that's how it was explained to me by an agency owner in SF.

[Carmen Hunter]

So is anyone else seeing page rates like Marla posted here?

[Paulina B.]

I agree with Veronica. Though I don't live in Orange County anymore, I still travel for work when it's slow in Vegas. Most of the page rates I get with the agencies I work with are on the lower end, but they do keep me busy every time that I come in to town, so I try not to get too hung up on the rates. If the work is there, both frequency and quality, then I'm good with that. Although, I do think that the rates should be competitive and not so low that it is insulting. Marla, I am glad that you posted this as it gives me an idea of where my agencies are compared to others. Do you happen to have a list compiling OC rates? Also, just out of curiosity, would you feel comfortable sharing the names of the agencies you work for? You can always privately e-mail me if you're more comfortable with that.

[Carmen Hunter]

I was hoping to get some input from reporters who have their own clients -- and I guess any agency that's willing to share.

What's the going rate for copy orders?

If your client expedites the transcript and opposing counsel also wants his copy at the same time, do you bill opposing counsel the expedite fee as well?

If there's a videographer and/or interpreter, do you also add to the copy order bill the videographer fee, interpreter fee, whatever it may be?

I would greatly appreciate some feedback. Thanks.

[Carmen Hunter]

If it's uncomfortable to share this information publicly, one can always privately email me. I'm not really sure how to find out this information without asking other reporters who have clients.

Thanks.