Legal Secretary/Typist/Transcriptionist

Before you go any further, please note that working from home is different from working in an office; there are no paper files to look through for spellings - Google is our friend! On average it takes new team members about three months to get up to speed as there is a lot to take in and learn - rather than working for one firm and possibly a couple of fee earners, you will be working for lots of firms and lots of different fee earners who may have different ways of doing things - but there are templates for everything and checklists for each firm.

DTFL as a firm works its own way; there are README documents to follow and full training is given BUT you must put in the time - it is no good thinking this is a "get rich quick scheme" and when the sun is shining you can sit out in the garden doing whatever you want. You tell me the days/hours that you wish to work, what sort of break you want at lunchtime and then you stick to that even when the sun is shining and neighbours want you to go round for coffee - imagine a self-employed bricklayer saying that to his foreman!

Anyway, if you still want to read further, then please do.

  • Are you an experienced UK-based legal typist?
  • Do you have at least 8 years’ legal audio typing experience?
  • Do you have a fast, accurate typing speed (a minimum of 85 words per minute)?
  • Do you take great pride in your work?
  • Are you looking for a self-employed, long-term legal audio typist position?

Applicants must be experienced in the following areas:

  • Commercial Property
  • Civil Litigation
  • Family
  • Probate (both contentious and non-contentious)
  • Crime

It is essential that you:

  • have a fast and accurate typing speed;
  • are an advanced user of Word which must include using automatic paragraph numbering, track changes, comments, cross-referencing, table of contents and styles;
  • take pride in your work;
  • are motivated;
  • are happy using Outlook and Excel;
  • are happy navigating using File Explorer; and
  • work well as a member of a team.

Hours currently available Monday to Friday:

  • 11.00am to 6.00pm (you are not restricted to these hours, if you want to do more, then do more.)

You must have:

  • a PC with a fast broadband Internet connection and, if you use wi-fi, ensure that there are no "dead" spots;
  • a PC with an operating system of no older than Windows 10;
  • a PC with at least 8GB of RAM; and
  • the Plantronics Blackwire C5220 headset.

Please note if you use a laptop, you may need to add a full-size keyboard and larger monitor to be able to do this work quickly and accurately (as you would in an office) - I have found over the years that typists using only their laptop hardware make far more errors.

DTFL supplies all Office 365 applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, etc.) through a hosted desktop for your use while a member of the team. DTFL also supplies you with the Olympus foot pedal for your use - returnable to DTFL at your own cost when you leave the team for whatever reason.

Please note that the workload does fluctuate - you must be prepared for this - there is no guarantee on the amount of work you will receive daily.

Digital Transcription for Lawyers (DTFL) Tetney