Specialist legal or medical transcription

Law firms, barristers, medical and allied health practices, insurers and investigators.

Higher per audio minute or per line rates than general work, often through ongoing arrangements with a few regular clients.

• Legal or medical vocabulary
• Very high accuracy and proofreading
• Understanding of privacy and confidentiality
• Reliable turnaround times

• Health information is sensitive, so check your privacy obligations under Australian privacy law and any state health records rules
• Check whether clients require professional indemnity insurance
• Court and legal work may have specific formatting or security requirements, so confirm with each client
• Speech recognition tools are changing demand, so offer review and accuracy as your strength
• Register for GST once turnover reaches the threshold

Startup costs are typically estimated around $500 to $2,500, depending on the equipment and software you choose. You can work from home, and your specialist vocabulary and accuracy are your main assets.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your clients, turnaround times and volume of work. The estimate assumes at least 10 hours a week. Speech recognition tools are changing demand, so offer review and accuracy.

Health information is sensitive, so check your privacy obligations under Australian privacy law and any state health records rules. Check whether clients require professional indemnity insurance, and confirm court or legal formatting and security requirements with each client.