Phone interpretation (OPI)Courts

Phone Interpretation for Courts

Court-certified interpreters for status calls, short appearances and settlement conference calls, where the court allows phone. Get your quote in seconds, place your order, and you're all set.

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Starting at $92.91

Per hour

Court-certified

Interpreters

HIPAA-aligned

All clinical sessions

Medically credentialed

CCHI and NBCMI certified interpreters

Request

Get your instant quote and place order

Enter the date, start time, the language and the kind of call. Add the court's rules in the notes. The price for the time you book shows right away.

Match

Interpreter matched to the setting

Our dispatcher assigns a court-certified interpreter, and your clerk gets the name and credentials before the call.

Confirmed in your dashboard and by email

Phone (OPI)

Interpreter on the line

Everyone dials in at the booked time, with no app or link, and the interpreter stays until the booked time ends.

Any phone, no app or link needed

The price shows before you book. Every session is covered by an NDA; clinical sessions are handled in line with HIPAA.

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Calls courts book

Phone interpreters for courts on status calls, short appearances and settlement conference calls

Where a court allows phone, these are the calls it books an interpreter for. The cards link to the page for that session by phone.

Status calls and short appearances
The interpreter dials in to the court's line so a party who speaks another language can follow a call that needs no documents on screen.
Typical calls
- Telephonic status conferences
- Short appearances
- Calls to set the next date
Phone Interpretation for Court Hearings
Settlement conference calls
The interpreter dials in to the conference call, including the judge's private call with one side.
Typical calls
- Conference calls with counsel
- Private calls with each side
- Offers explained to the party
Phone Interpretation for Settlement Conferences
Mediation program calls
The interpreter dials in for calls in the court's mediation program, such as scheduling and short follow-up sessions.
Typical calls
- Scheduling calls
- Short follow-up sessions
- Calls with one party
Phone Interpretation for Mediations

Court calls

What to know about court calls with a phone interpreter

When phone is used

A court uses the phone for short calls where nobody needs to see a document, such as a status conference or a scheduling call, and only where its rules allow it. Phone also reaches a party who has no video or lives far away. The interpreter dials in from anywhere in the US, so a language nobody near the courthouse speaks can still be booked. A hearing with testimony or exhibits is better held on video or in the courtroom.

Who is on the line

The judge runs the call, and the attorneys dial in with the parties. The party who speaks another language dials in from any phone, and the interpreter joins the same call. Once everyone is on the line, the interpreter can bring a third party onto it. In a mediation program call, the mediator takes the judge's place.

On the line4

JudgeRuns the call
AttorneysDial in with the parties
PartySpeaks through the interpreter
InterpreterDials in and can add a third party

CourtInterpreterParty

The interpreter's role

The interpreter makes the call as clear to the party as it is to everyone else. Nobody can see who is about to speak, so the interpreter keeps the turns clear, and each part is interpreted in full once the speaker pauses. They are neutral, keep the call confidential, and do not explain, advise or give opinions.

On a status call

JudgePauseInterpretedPartyInterpreted

Before the call

Add the case name, the names of the parties and the judge's name to the booking notes, and the interpreter reads them before the call. Nothing can be shown on a phone line, so any document the call will go through should reach the participants beforehand. Give the dial-in number and access code to every participant ahead of the call.

On-site, video or phone

Choosing between phone, video and on-site for court proceedings

Phone suits the shortest calls, and only where the court allows it. Anything with testimony or exhibits belongs in another setting.

On-site
Book an interpreter in the courthouse for a hearing with testimony, or any hearing where the court wants the parties present.
On-Site Interpretation for Courts
Video (VRI)
Video fits a hearing where a party or a witness has to be seen, or where exhibits are shared on screen.
Video-Remote Interpretation for Courts
Phone (OPI)
Phone fits a status call, a scheduling call or a short appearance where the court allows phone.

How it works

How courts book a phone interpreter

Enter your details and get your instant quote
Use the quote form to give the date, time and language, and pick the kind of call. The price for the booked time shows right away.
Place your order
Pay online to confirm. The dashboard then holds the dial-in number and access code, and you add the case name and any court rules there.
Dispatcher runs and assigns an interpreter
Our dispatcher assigns a court-certified interpreter and emails you the name and credentials before the call.
Join your session
At the booked time, each participant calls the number and enters the access code from any phone. The interpreter remains on the line for the time you booked.

What you receive

The interpreter's name and credentials, for your clerk to check before the call.
A dial-in number and access code in the project, to share with the participants.
A dashboard confirmation and an email in the court's name, with your notes attached.

Every file and session is covered by an NDA and sent over an encrypted connection. Clinical matters are handled in line with HIPAA.

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If you also need translations

If you also need documents translated before the call

Certified translations into English come from the same account as PDFs, so documents in another language can reach every participant before the call.

Courts and depositions
Contracts and text messages in another language, translated into English and sent to the court and counsel before the call.
Hospitals and clinics
Medical records from abroad that a party mentions on the call, translated so the judge can read them.
- Medical Records
- Vaccination Record
Meetings and negotiations
Financial statements and legal contracts, translated into English before a call about a civil case.

Not in the list? We translate 37 document types, from passports and bank statements to patents, each with its own page and the same certification.Browse all documents

FAQ

Questions from courts about phone interpreters

The ones we hear most often, answered by our dispatch and project-management teams.

Can't find it here?

01Does the court need to set up the line?

No. The court can use its own conference line, or you can share the dial-in number and access code from our confirmation.

02Who decides whether a call can be held by phone?

Each court decides when remote interpreting is allowed. Tell us the court and the kind of call when you book.

03What if the call needs video after all?

We can change the booking to a video session, subject to the interpreter's availability.

04Do the parties need an app?

No. Everyone dials in from any phone, with no app or link.

05How is a phone booking priced?

Phone bookings are priced by the time you book, and the total shows before you pay. Add time for the interpreting itself, because every part is said twice, and unused time is not refunded.

06Which languages can you interpret by phone for a court?

70 languages, into and out of English. Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Portuguese and Vietnamese are among the easiest to schedule, and rare languages such as Burmese or Pashto need more notice.

By language