Professional Practice Management (Notarization, Fees, Records Retention, Technology)
Domain 7: Professional Practice Management (Notarization, Fees, Records Retention, Technology)
This domain tests the business side of reporting: lawful notarization, fee setting, records retention, and secure technology. Poor practice management can destroy an otherwise accurate transcript.
Core rules
- A notarial jurat requires the signer to appear personally before the notary; an acknowledgment also requires personal appearance. Never notarize by mail or over video unless Nevada law specifically authorizes it.
- Charge only authorized fees; distinguish page rates, copy charges, expedited fees, and appearance fees.
- Retain stenographic notes, audio, and transcripts for the period required by Nevada rules and any longer period needed for appeal or litigation hold.
- Back up CAT files and audio; encrypt confidential files; use access controls.
- Keep business records that support invoices and certification dates.
Worked example
A law firm requests a transcript from a 2019 deposition. Your retention policy says notes and audio are destroyed after five years, but the case is on appeal and a litigation hold is in place. The hold overrides the routine schedule. You must preserve the records and produce the transcript if authorized. Destroying them would be spoliation and an ethics violation.
Traps that cost marks
Destroying notes before the appeal period ends; notarizing without personal appearance; charging undocumented “copy” fees; storing confidential audio on an unencrypted personal device; and failing to back up files before a software upgrade. Good practice management is part of reliability.