Plan recorder and transcription packages for several attorneys sharing a secretary. Match author equipment to the playback station, organize assignments, manage corrections, and verify compatibility before expanding.
A dictation system for multiple attorneys sharing a secretary needs two things: a dependable route from each recorder to the transcription desk, and a clear agreement about what happens after the recording arrives. The equipment captures and plays the work. The office still needs to identify the author, assign priorities, handle corrections, and return each draft to the right person.
Begin by separating recording access from typing capacity. Three attorneys might need three available recorders while using one secretary workstation. That does not automatically mean buying three complete recorder-and-transcriber packages. Equally, adding a second secretary may require another properly equipped and licensed playback position even when the attorneys already have enough recorders.
This guide explains how to expand with Martel recorder and transcription packages, including the computer-based packages identified as SKUs 405 and 1840 and the additional author recorder identified as SKU 320. It also covers practical intake procedures for mixed staff and physical handoff. The examples are fictional planning exercises, not customer testimonials or measured product results.
If your first question is what “transcription” includes, read our guide to voice recorders with transcription. In the secretary workflow discussed here, a person listens to the recording and prepares the document. A foot pedal controls supported playback; it does not independently turn speech into finished text.
Make a short inventory before comparing packages. For each attorney, record the existing recorder model, whether it remains at the office, and when the attorney needs it. For each secretary, record the computer used for transcription, the playback application, pedal, headset, and whether another staff member must cover the same work. Include home-working arrangements if they are actually required.
Then ask what happens at the busiest overlap. An attorney who dictates while the secretary types yesterday’s recording needs independent access to recording. Two attorneys who dictate simultaneously need two available recording devices. A secretary covering several authors needs access to their supported files, but does not necessarily need several pedals or several headsets at one desk.
Keep replacement needs separate from expansion. A worn headset, unreliable cable, or unconfigured playback application can make an existing system frustrating without proving that every recorder needs replacing. Conversely, a recorder that still captures audio may lack a practical transfer route for the proposed secretary station. Assess the whole path before deciding which parts to retain.
Use our lawyer dictation recorder package buyer’s guide to compare the complete starting arrangements. Here, the buying question is more specific: what must be added so another attorney can submit usable work to the same transcription process?
Martel’s Lawyer Dictation Recorder + Free Secretary Transcriber, SKU 405, lists a slide-control recorder, USB docking and charging cradle, recording accessories, transcription software, a USB transcription pedal, and a headset. This provides a starting point for an author and a secretary using computer playback. Confirm the exact supplied recorder, software version, and computer requirements when ordering.
The Lawyers Perfect Digital Dictation Package, SKU 1840, lists a professional recorder, memory card, pouch, USB download cable, rechargeable battery pack, All N One transcription software, an Infinity USB foot pedal, and a headset. Its listing describes MP3 recording and computer-based playback for the typist. Review the current package details against the office’s intended setup.
Package titles alone do not establish that two offerings contain identical recorders, docking arrangements, or software entitlements. Build the initial workstation around the package actually selected. Complete a short recording, transfer it, operate playback with the pedal, type a sample, and return the draft before adding more authors.
The computer dictation setup guide for a lawyer and secretary explains that initial process. A working first pair gives you a reference: later additions should preserve the same clear route from recorded instruction to reviewed document.
Martel lists the Lawyer Dictation Recorder ABA – Extra Recorder, SKU 320, as an expansion option. The SKU 405 page specifically points readers toward an additional recorder when another attorney does not need another secretary kit. That makes SKU 320 a relevant item to evaluate when the transcription position already exists.
Confirm the expansion order in writing. Identify the existing package and playback software, the new recorder, required charging and transfer accessories, and whether any additional software entitlement is needed. Treat SKU 320 as the recorder expansion: do not count a second secretary kit or an extra software seat as included. Have the current recorder-only contents confirmed on the order.
For an office already using SKU 1840, do not assume the same expansion arrangement merely because both products are sold for lawyers. Verify the new recorder’s selected recording format and transfer method against that office’s actual playback application. Ask for the supported combination, then repeat the recording-to-draft test with the additional device.
A file should arrive with enough information for the secretary to begin work. Agree on a brief spoken opening: author, office job reference, document type, and requested draft-return time. Add the template or recipient instructions when relevant. Use approved office references in filenames and labels, avoiding unnecessary personal information in locations where it could be exposed.
For example, a fictional attorney might begin, “Author A, DEMO-241, letter draft using the standard correspondence template, needed for review tomorrow at ten.” The exact words are unimportant. What matters is that the secretary can connect the recording, instructions, and eventual document without reconstructing the job from separate conversations.
Separate instructions from text to be typed. A lawyer can say “instruction for the secretary” before explaining a formatting change, then clearly resume the dictated letter. Spell unfamiliar names and clarify numbers. If a previously approved document supplies background, identify its reference rather than expecting the secretary to guess which version is intended.
End with a clear completion statement. An unfinished recording can otherwise look like a complete assignment. When more audio will follow, identify it as a partial submission and explain whether the secretary should start or wait.
Choose one approved place where accepted work is recorded. It can be a simple office-maintained log associated with an approved file location. A queue is a procedure first; this guide does not assume that a Martel package automatically provides shared folders, network permissions, author recognition, or assignment management.
Record the job reference, author, document type, arrival time, requested draft time, assigned typist, and status. A file appearing in a folder is not the same as the secretary acknowledging that it is usable. Receipt should mean the correct person knows the work is present and can open the recording.
| Job | Author | Requested draft | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEMO-241 | A | Letter for tomorrow’s review | Typing |
| DEMO-242 | B | Memo after the letter | Received |
| DEMO-243 | C | Revision to earlier instructions | Needs clarification |
Keep status names limited and meaningful. “Received,” “Typing,” “Needs clarification,” “With author,” and “Complete” may be enough. Define “Complete” so everyone understands whether it means transcription finished, author review finished, or the document delivered. Those are different events, and mixing them hides unfinished work.
If two secretaries can cover the queue, assign each job before typing begins. A shared file location alone does not prevent both people from opening the same recording. Make reassignment explicit, including any partially completed document and the point where the first typist stopped.
Agree who resolves competing priorities. The secretary needs a decision when two attorneys request the same delivery time, not two independent instructions to finish first. A designated office contact can review conflicts using the actual work and deadlines. Keep that process short enough to use during a busy afternoon.
Distinguish the requested draft time from a later external deadline. The attorney may need time to review, revise, and approve the document. A transcription estimate that ends at the final deadline leaves no space for that work. Record the agreed draft-return target in the queue rather than relying on a general “today” label.
Make changes visible. If an attorney moves a job ahead of another assignment, update the queue and notify the affected people through the office’s usual channel. Do not rely on a recorder’s file order, because creation order does not tell the secretary which competing task the office has chosen to prioritize.
Audio minutes help describe the incoming work, but they are not a promise of typing time. A clearly dictated letter in a familiar template creates a different task from a disorganized recording with difficult names, tables, or repeated corrections. Include formatting, clarification, proofreading, and other secretary duties when planning the day.
For a fictional example, three attorneys submit twelve, eighteen, and ten recorded minutes. That is forty minutes of audio. If observations of similar work in that particular office showed four minutes of typing and checking effort per recorded minute, the initial estimate would be 160 minutes. The four-to-one assumption is invented for illustration; it is not an equipment performance claim or an industry standard.
Track a small representative sample of your own work and compare the estimate with what actually happened. Note why difficult jobs took longer. Use the results to agree more realistic submission times and identify recurring instruction problems. Do not turn one easy recording into a permanent productivity expectation.
When demand regularly exceeds available time, more recorders can increase submissions while leaving the typing bottleneck unchanged. The next improvement may be protected transcription time, different scheduling, or another authorized typist position. Buy equipment to address the constraint you have identified.
A correction should state which assignment it changes and whether it supplements or replaces earlier instructions. “Use this instead” is incomplete when several recordings arrived that day. An attorney can identify “DEMO-241, revision two, replace the closing paragraph” before dictating the change.
Preserve distinguishable versions until the office’s review process is finished. Avoid silently overwriting the audio the secretary may already be using. Keep the new recording, queue entry, and draft label aligned. If the typist has already returned a draft, identify that version when requesting changes so another person does not edit an older copy.
Unclear audio needs an author decision. Mark the uncertain passage with a useful reference, such as its approximate playback time, and request clarification. Do not use another attorney’s preferences to fill the gap. A consistent correction procedure helps a substitute secretary understand what remains unresolved without replaying the entire history.
Different working patterns can coexist when the intake rules remain consistent. One attorney may dictate throughout the day, another may submit one longer recording, and a part-time secretary may handle only agreed assignments. Set expectations for when each person hands off work and who acknowledges it during absences.
A remote or substitute secretary needs an approved way to receive audio and return documents, plus confirmed playback compatibility and licensing. Do not assume that software installed at the main desk can simply be copied to a home computer. Check the actual product terms and computer requirements before relying on that second location.
Give coverage staff a short operating note: intake location, job references, priority contact, current assignments, draft-return procedure, and how to raise an unclear passage. Keep credentials out of that note. A substitute should not need the original secretary’s private account or informal knowledge to discover which assignments remain open.
Some offices prefer a physical handoff instead of moving recordings to a computer for playback. Multiple authors make possession tracking especially important: who has the recorder or card, which jobs it contains, and when it can be returned or reused. These questions remain even when everyone works in adjacent rooms.
Our one-recorder versus two-recorder no-PC dictation guide explains the availability tradeoffs. Before extending a physical-media arrangement, verify the exact supported recorder and playback combination. Do not assume that a card from one recorder will work correctly in another simply because it fits the slot.
Use a handoff log that connects the physical item to the same job references used for documents. A labeled container can show what is awaiting transcription, but it should not become the only record of a requested deadline. Define who authorizes erasing completed recordings under the office’s retention procedure.
Test each recorder with the actual transcription workstation, including any older devices you plan to retain. Record a fresh sample in the intended format, transfer it by the agreed method, and play it from beginning to end. Test the pedal while the word processor is active. A successful file copy alone does not prove that the entire working arrangement is ready.
File format, software version, and operating system are separate checks. Do not infer support for every recording setting from a familiar filename extension. Ask Martel to confirm the intended recorder settings and the supplied application’s support for the office’s current computer. Older operating-system references on a listing should not be treated as a current compatibility guarantee.
Check foot-control behavior rather than just the connector. Confirm play, rewind, and forward functions in the intended application, and adjust supported playback settings for the typist. The USB shape alone does not show that a different pedal model will work. Keep the tested pedal and software details with the workstation inventory.
Count software permissions independently from hardware quantities. Additional authors, a backup computer, simultaneous typists, and remote access can create different licensing questions. Obtain the applicable terms for the exact supplied software; do not infer unlimited installations from a package price or the inclusion of one transcription kit.
Finally, test what actually happens to author information and duplicate filenames during transfer. Do not assume automatic routing, duplicate prevention, or shared status tracking. If the chosen package supports an automated step, confirm its requirements and keep an exception procedure for recordings that do not arrive as expected.
Use the office’s approved storage and transfer arrangements for client work. Limit access to the people assigned to it, and avoid placing recordings in personal accounts for convenience. Recorder purchase alone does not establish that a workflow satisfies the office’s confidentiality, retention, or security requirements.
With fictional material, rehearse an interrupted transfer and a missing recording. Identify which copy can be recovered and who investigates the problem. Do not erase the source simply because a filename appears at the destination; first follow the office’s verification and retention procedure. A backup that nobody has checked is a weak basis for a deadline-dependent workflow.
Keep equipment identification and support information available to the person who maintains the station. That record should distinguish a recorder fault, a transfer problem, a playback issue, and a queue misunderstanding. Describing the failed step makes troubleshooting more useful than reporting that “dictation stopped working.”
A useful purchase request describes positions rather than simply asking for three recorders. For example: “We have one secretary workstation and want two additional attorneys to send recordings to it. The existing package is identified below. We also need occasional coverage from a second approved computer.” This gives the supplier a concrete arrangement to assess without assuming that every employee needs the same bundle.
Ask the response to distinguish included items from required additions. List each recorder, its transfer and charging accessories, the secretary’s playback software, pedal, and headset. Include confirmation of supported computer requirements and the software terms relevant to the proposed locations. If the existing station is retained, state that clearly so its compatibility is considered before the order is finalized.
Set an acceptance check the office can actually perform: each author records a fictional assignment, the intended secretary receives and transcribes it, and coverage staff can complete an assigned job using their authorized arrangement. Keep the order details with the results. When another attorney joins later, the office will have a reliable record of what was supplied and tested rather than relying on a remembered product name.
Start with one attorney and one secretary, then introduce the next recorder. Submit two fictional jobs with different requested times, a labeled correction, and one intentionally incomplete instruction. Confirm that the secretary can identify the authors, obtain clarification, return the right drafts, and keep both jobs visible.
Repeat the trial with the person who provides absence coverage. Review the process after a representative period of real work, using the office’s approved handling procedures. Look for delayed handoffs, repeated clarification, duplicate typing, and uneven workload. Those observations tell you whether the next purchase should support another author or another transcription position.
When ready to compare equipment, browse Martel’s dictation and transcription packages and professional dictation recorders. Bring the existing package number, software version, computer details, and staffing plan to the discussion. That information supports a specific expansion recommendation instead of a guess based only on attorney headcount.
Not necessarily. Count author devices and secretary playback positions separately. One verified transcription station may receive supported recordings from several authors. An additional recorder can be appropriate when the existing station already meets the need, but confirm transfer compatibility and software permissions before placing the expansion order.
SKU 320, the Lawyer Dictation Recorder ABA – Extra Recorder, is a relevant expansion option, and the SKU 405 page points to it for an additional author. Give Martel the details of your existing setup. Confirm the supplied accessories and any software entitlement instead of assuming another secretary kit comes with it.
Have the exact combination confirmed before ordering. The Lawyers Perfect package is SKU 1840; its listing does not by itself establish compatibility with every additional recorder. Verify recording format, transfer arrangements, and playback on the installed software, then test a sample from the new device.
The manual workflow described here uses software, a pedal, and a headset to help the secretary listen and type. Those items do not alone promise automatic speech-to-text conversion. Confirm any separately requested recognition capability and continue to plan for document checking and author review.
They can share responsibility through a defined assignment process, provided each working position has the required access, supported equipment, and software rights. Assign an owner to each job before typing begins. Do not assume a shared folder prevents duplicate work or that one license permits simultaneous use at two desks.
Use a consistent spoken author identifier and office job reference at the start, followed by the document type and requested draft time. Test any electronic author fields before relying on them. The spoken opening remains useful when a recording arrives outside the usual transfer routine.
Headcount alone cannot answer that. Measure the volume and complexity of the office’s dictation alongside formatting, corrections, review coordination, and other duties. Use those observations to plan capacity. Buying another recorder improves recording access, but it does not create additional transcription time.
Use the office’s agreed priority decision-maker and record the result in the queue. Confirm the requested draft-return times and the work already underway. Communicate changes to the affected attorneys so the secretary is not left with conflicting promises that nobody has reconciled.
Possibly, if each device produces usable recordings that the actual secretary station can receive and play. Test every retained model and intended setting. Keep a record of the supported combinations; matching brand names or file extensions does not establish every transfer and playback detail.
Identify the original job, label the revision, and state whether it replaces or adds to earlier instructions. Explain the affected section. Update the queue and preserve distinguishable versions while review is underway so the secretary does not unknowingly type superseded material.
That depends on the chosen handoff method. A computer-based secretary station can receive recordings through an approved, supported process without every attorney performing the same transfer task. Physical recorder or card handoff is another arrangement. Confirm who transfers the audio and whether the author retains recording access during that step.
Collect existing recorder models, package SKUs, playback software and version, operating-system details, pedal model, number of authors, and number of simultaneous typists. Describe office and remote locations plus the intended handoff. Those specifics make it possible to check equipment, compatibility, and licensing together.
