How this Mom Makes Money from Home as a Legal Transcriptionist

Cynthia Terherst is a mother of two who embarked on a journey to make money from home as a legal transcriptionist. She did it so she could spend more time with her children! A noble pursuit indeed.

She decided to become a legal transcriptionist due to her background in law enforcement -- but Cynthia didn't let her legal background fool her into thinking she already knew it all! She set out to learn it all instead, and today she's sharing her experience with Legal Transcription: Theory and Practice™ right here on the TA blog.

RELATED: Sign up for the free 4-day intro course in legal transcription -- this is right where Cynthia started her journey!

We got the opportunity to interview Cynthia for the TA blog -- and we snatched it up! Enjoy.

Tell us a little about your background, Cynthia! What did your life look like before TA?

In my past life, I was a Criminal Investigator with my counties’ Sheriff’s Department, a Police Officer in a nearby city and also a legal secretary. I quit law enforcement after I got remarried and we started the adoption process to find a child to adopt because I did not want to be in law enforcement and raise a family. I was already raising goats on our farm and was finding it hard to be at home for them because I was at the Sheriff’s Department before the sun came up and was still there when the sun went down. It was by choice but I always put my all into whatever I do.

So shortly after I left law enforcement, my husband and I adopted our son, who will be 11 in December. And when he was 14 months old, we found out that I was finally pregnant! And when she was born, I had been trying to get pregnant and deliver a baby for 17 years! Our beautiful baby girl just turned nine years old this past Wednesday.

So I guess you can say that I have my hands full with raising our children and taking care of our cattle farm.

When did you start doing legal transcription, and what made you decide to learn it?

I have attempted to start a transcription (both general and legal) for about five years. However, I could never find legitimate work, and I was just fumbling through the process. So, I shelved the idea and dream. And it wasn’t until this past Spring, I was sent an email detailing Janet’s new Legal Transcription course through Transcribe Anywhere. And I knew that I had to take the course and that was going to be my way into the world of legal transcription. So I signed up for the course and I finished it in about two and a half months. I was traveling off and on during that time as well with my husband for his job. So, it took me a little longer than it should’ve if I wasn’t traveling.

What was the most challenging part in getting started?

The most challenging time was finding time to do the course work while traveling. But once I made the decision to stop traveling, I was able to set my schedule and stay on course.

What was/were the most valuable thing(s) you learned during the course?

Oh wow! There are so many valuable things about this course! Janet threw in everything that you could ever possibly need to do the job at hand no matter what the scenario is. She gives you assignments in every discipline related to the legal field, and she gives you the templates that you will need. If I had to say out of everything what will help me the most, I think it would be that I learned how to transcribe depositions and how to set up my shortcuts in Word.

How long did it take you to find your first client? How many clients do you have now?

I completed the course on August 25 and on September 22, I was contacted about my first client. I am expecting to receive the contract any time now. I have not been able to really market and seek out clients until now. So this is really exciting to be able to work with my first client.

What advice would you give anyone thinking about becoming a legal transcriptionist? Is it worth the money for training?

I would say, “Just do it!” It’s an exciting field for me. I love the field of law. I would tell anyone that is contemplating whether or not they should spend the money on training to become a legal transcriptionist, I would say absolutely! I know that it’s a big chuck of change, but what you get in Janet’s course is well worth the dollars that you are paying!

I have worked on two sides of the field and I still learned things that I didn’t know. You will feel well rounded and confident in your abilities to do the job you are contracted to do. And you will already have the tools (i.e., templates, examples, etc.) to use in your business. You could spend that kind of money just on templates and not even get the knowledge from the class if you go elsewhere.

So do yourself a favor and just trust Janet and Transcribe Anywhere! She’s there for you if you have any questions or problems. She even lets you try out the course before deciding if it’s right for you! You can’t lose! Just do it!

What does your life look like now? Anything else you’d like to share about your journey?

I’m having the time of my life! I get to be home with my children, give them the education that I want them to have, and be able to still be connected to the field of law with my legal transcription business! I work when I want to and take the jobs that I want to. I wouldn’t want it any other way!

Congratulations Cynthia!

Do you have questions for Cynthia? Leave her a comment below!

Don't forget to enroll in the free 4-day mini course for legal transcription: