One of the ways that I can provide the service I want to my clients is by using a virtual paralegal. My paralegal was with me when I had a downtown office. She now works at home via email, fax and lots of digital dictation and PDF’s. She is not an employee, but is an independent contractor.
I use an Olympus DS-330 to do my dictation. Once the dictation is done, I save it to my computer in a file folder called Transcription. The DS-330 comes with the software to load on the computer for transferring the file from the 330 to my iBook. I than attached the .wav file to an email and send it off to my paralegal.
My paralegal than opens the file with a great software package that even includes the equipment to transcript the file to the document required. Start Stop Universal transcription system is a complete system. Including the software, foot-pedal and earphones.
The file is transcribed and emailed by my paralegal to me in proof form. I than proof, make any changes necessary, print it and do with it what needs to be done. If at all possible, I never print the document, since I can sign them with my computer by pasting my signature into the document. I fax file when I can and fax letters when I can. Or attach them to emails if possible. This is just one step in working towards the paperLESS office.
This system works great. What is even better is I can dictate anywhere I am and email documents to my paralegal as long as I have wifi. And I can retrieve them from my email and, again do with them what needs to be done.
My next purchase will be a Canon Portable printer and of course the Treo 650 I mentioned before.
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Paperless Office, PDF, PaperLESS, Telecommute, Treo 650
