Rates and Policies
Call CAIRS with the following information:

• Specific time and duration
• Date
• Location of the assignment
• Deaf client’s name
• Preferred mode of communication i.e. ASL, PSE, Tactile, Oral, other
• On-site contact person and phone number
• Billing address (if different from address on acknowledgement form)
• Brief summary of assignment

Definitions

Legal Assignments:  Are those involving legal issues, legal counsel, or having legal consequences.  The assignments require interpreter with advanced skills and experience.  Any assignment involving legal counsel or legal issues is treated as a legal assignment and the consultation or recording rates will apply.

Consultation:  Legal consultations are assignments where legal counsel is present but where no official recording is taken.  These assignments include intake interviews, advice and council in attorney offices, settlement conferences, and other discussions, conversations and meetings with attorneys present.

Recording:  Legal recordings are assignments where an official recording is taken or there is an independent fact finder present or presiding.  These assignments include depositions, recordings, arbitration proceedings, court proceedings, and trials.  

Special Note* Clients are prohibited from offering work directly to CAIRS’ interpreters to circumvent paying referral fees. In the event a customer desires to hire a CAIRS’ interpreter directly as an employee, the customer agrees to obtain express permission from CAIRS which shall not be unreasonably withheld. In that situation, CAIRS is entitled to collect a reasonable finder’s fee for acting as an employment agency for the client.

Hourly Rates

Standard Rate: $49.00 per hour, per interpreter

Holiday: $71.00 per hour, per interpreter

Legal Consultation: $64.00 per hour, per interpreter

Legal Recording: $79.00 per hour, per interpreter

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Contracted Time
An interpreter generally can work alone for up to two hours.  Assignments exceeding two hours typically requires a second interpreter due to the mental and physical demands of interpreting.  If a second interpreter is unavailable, the available interpreter will be asked if s/he is willing to work the assignment alone with additional breaks as necessary. 

• All interpreter requests carry a 2-hour minimum.
• Assignments over two hours with only one interpreter will be charged at one and half times the hourly rate.
• Assignments that exceed the originally requested time period are billed in half hour increments and are subject to the interpreter’s individual schedule.  Overtime availability is not guaranteed.
• Assignments that conclude prior to the originally requested time period are billed at the full contracted rate, including any applicable short notice and travel fees.

Additional Costs
CAIRS realizes that advance notice is not always possible and will work diligently to accommodate a client’s needs. 

• In the event that a request is received with less that two full business day’s notice, CAIRS will assess a short notice fee of $50.00 per interpreter. 
• Requests received with less than one full business day’s notice will receive both the short notice fee and the interpreter’s travel time billed at the standard rate. 

CAIRS encourages clients to place requests as early as possible to obtain the most economical rate.

CAIRS calls to confirm your request
Once an interpreter is assigned, CAIRS makes every reasonable effort to contact the requestor and provide the interpreter’s name. CAIRS becomes contractually obligated to the interpreter at the time the interpreter agrees to render services. Therefore, the customer’s verbal contract obligation is established when an interpreter agrees to accept the assignment rather than at the time of confirmation.

• If a client notifies CAIRS of cancellation prior to any interpreter being assigned, there is no fee.

Cancellation Policy

CAIRS success rate at filling interpreter requests is high.  Occasionally, due to significant volume during peak periods or insufficient notice, CAIRS may be unable to fill an assignment.  If that should occur, CAIRS will notify the client and explore the possibility of rescheduling the assignment. 

• The client is never charged for an unfilled assignment.

Occasionally a deaf consumer will miss an appointment or meeting.  If you become aware that a client will not attend prior to the assignment, please notify CAIRS immediately. CAIRS remains contractually obligated to compensate interpreters for all requests canceled with less than two full business days’ notice.  Consequently, CAIRS must hold clients contractually obligated for these charges.

• Assignments may be cancelled without charge up to two full business days prior to the assignment.