No Upfront Costs.
All Upfront Benefits.

DelayPay is Steno's signature deferred payment solution for court reporting and litigation support services. With DelayPay, no payment is due until the case closes. There is no interest charged and no price fluctuations based on the size of recovery. 

Steno is not a financial institution and never provides cash to law firms to fund litigation. We simply offer the option of deferred payment for our own court reporting services.

DelayPay is available to both plaintiff and defense firms at fair and transparent pricing, on either a recourse or a non-recourse basis, depending on the state and case type. 

In non-recourse cases, if there is no disbursement of funds, there is no payment. That means:

• For plaintiff firms, payment is collected only if funds are disbursed from a judgment or settlement. 
• For defense firms, payment is collected only if you are required to pay a judgment or settlement.

DelayPay is available to all of our clients, including dedicated plaintiff and defense firms, as well as firms that handle both types of cases. There are, however, some limited case types or situations for which DelayPay may not be offered.

For all Steno-hosted depositions, DelayPay is also available to Steno clients for transcript copy orders. To become a Steno client and qualify for DelayPay for your copy orders, contact concierge@steno.com to review and sign a Services Agreement.

At Steno, reliability is one of our core values. This means we take pride in providing the same high-quality, ethical and professional services to all parties, regardless of whether they are plaintiff or defense or the payment plan they choose. 

All our court reporters and other professionals are independent contractors who work with Steno on a job-to-job basis. They are fully licensed and comply with all applicable requirements. These individuals are focused solely on providing accurate and professional services and remain entirely neutral and independent throughout the entire process.

Steno never alters the contents of the final transcript in any way after submitted by the court reporter or professional.

Our court reporters and professionals are always paid their set rate promptly after submitting their materials and have no financial interest in the case outcome. In fact, unless otherwise required by law, for ethical reasons, they are not privy to a firm's payment arrangement with Steno, further ensuring the integrity and impartiality of all our reporting services. 

We adhere to all legal and ethical standards in the court reporting industry, which helps maintain a level playing field for all parties involved in litigation. All parties have equal access to our services and can become Steno clients by signing a Services Agreement.  Through these practices, Steno strives to provide fair and equal treatment to all parties in any case, regardless of payment plan, and whether they are plaintiff or defense.

DelayPay empowers firms to build the strongest possible cases without immediate financial strain. By offering court reporting and litigation support services with no upfront costs, DelayPay reduces the pressure to settle due to financial concerns, allowing you to focus on pursuing justice for your client.

DelayPay may also improve cash flow management by eliminating the need to front court reporting costs for clients or risk writing off these expenses. This can not only enhance your firm's financial efficiency but will also allow you to offer clients a valuable financial solution, improving client relationships and potentially attracting more business. Through it all, you can rely on our impartial court reporters and litigation professionals to provide the highest quality of service regardless of payment method.

In eligible jurisdictions, our non-recourse option means that defense firms that successfully defend a case and don't have to pay the opposing side, won't owe Steno either. This feature, combined with deferred payments, enhances your ability to contest potentially meritless claims and manage complex, long-running cases more effectively. 

For plaintiff firms, the non-recourse option means if no judgment or settlement is collected, you won’t need to pay Steno for the court reporting services provided. This feature allows you to take all the depositions you believe are necessary for your case without ongoing financial burden.  

No, a law firm does not need to disclose its use of DelayPay in a Notice of Deposition under California Code of Civil Procedure 2025.220.  This is because CCP 2025.220 only requires disclosure of a contract between the noticing party (or a third party financing all or part of the action) and either the court reporter or the court reporting firm for services beyond the noticed deposition. 

The “noticing party” is the specific plaintiff or defendant noticing the deposition and there are no contracts between Steno and any party to the case.  

Even if Steno could be seen as a "third party who is financing all or part of the action," Steno does not have a contract with the court reporter for services beyond the noticed deposition.  To the contrary, all of Steno's court reporters are independent contractors and are hired on a job-by-job basis. Also, signing a DelayPay agreement does not obligate a firm to exclusively use Steno for any or all depositions. Confer with your own counsel regarding disclosure obligations.