Court Reporter Guide to Working from Home

Working from home as a court reporter may seem like the ideal job, at least to your friends and family, but there are choices to be made every day. Household chores, phone calls, and pets can get in the way of your productivity. Establishing space and time to work are keys to success.

Establish Workspace

Whether it’s a corner of the dining room table, a desk in the living room, or home office space, it’s important to know where you’re working. And it’s just as important to know where you’re having fun, relaxing, or sleeping. If you’re confusing the two, you might find yourself awake at night because you’ve worked from your bed all day. That’s not ideal or healthy.

Our friend has a home office and literally opens and closes the door based on her schedule just like if she worked outside the home. We like that idea but know not everyone can do that.

Wherever you work, treat it the same as if you were commuting and establish a routine.

Get in a Routine

Some of us roll out of bed at the crack of dawn ready to take on the day while others take a few hours and a couple of cups of coffee to feel motivated. It takes getting to know yourself to understand what’s right for you. If you need time for household tasks in the morning, that’s fine as long as you’re able to serve your clients.

We find we’re most productive when we’re on a routine even if it’s a routine of working afternoons and evenings instead of a standard 9-5 schedule.

Communicate the Schedule

Now that you’ve established a routine, communicate it to family and friends. It will (hopefully) deter them from dropping by unannounced or asking you to go to lunch in the middle of taking a deposition. It’s not foolproof but if you know the schedule, you can let others know too.

We recommend using an online calendar to track work and non-work time. That way when someone asks you to lunch you can say yes or no without feeling like you’re missing work.

When it comes to working from home, you make the schedule that best serves you, your family, and your clients.

Are you a court reporter seeking new clients? Contact us today!