How to request interpreter services

eCourtDate tracks interpreter requests as interpreter tasks. You create a task from an event, a client record, or an interpreter profile, then follow it under **Cases** > **Interpreter Tasks**.

### Overview

Interpreter records hold the people and agencies your agency can call on, and interpreter tasks record each individual assignment. When you assign an interpreter, eCourtDate creates a task that carries the language, location, due date, and whether virtual attendance is allowed.

- **What it does:** Creates and tracks interpreter tasks against the interpreter records saved for your agency
- **Why it matters:** Gives your agency one place to see which hearings and clients have an interpreter, which requests are still open, and which are overdue
- **Who uses it:** Court clerks, case managers, and administrators who schedule interpreters
- **Expected outcome:** A task assigned to a named interpreter, visible on the **Interpreter Tasks** page and on the interpreter profile it belongs to

### Prerequisites

Before you request an interpreter, make sure you have:

- Access to the **Cases** section of the main navigation (navigation items can be hidden on individual staff accounts)
- At least one interpreter saved under **Cases** > **Interpreters**, with the languages that interpreter covers
- Locations saved for your agency, because **Location** on an interpreter task is a dropdown of your agency locations
- **Auto Assign Interpreters** turned on under **Settings** > **Interpreter Scheduling**, only if you want eCourtDate to assign interpreters as events are created

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Add an interpreter

1. Go to **Cases** > **Interpreters**.
2. Enter the interpreter's name in **Name** in the **Create Interpreter** card.
3. Enter an **Email** and a **Phone** number for the interpreter.
4. Choose every language the interpreter covers in **Languages**.
5. Click **Create**.
6. Click the edit icon next to the new record to add details such as **Reference**, **Type**, **Channels**, **Status**, **Hourly Rate**, **Max Travel (miles)**, **Virtual Link**, and **Virtual Code**.
7. Click **Save**.

#### Step 2: Assign an interpreter to an event

1. Open the event from **Events**.
2. Click **Assign Interpreter** on the event page.
3. Select the **Language** you need, or leave **Any language** selected to see everyone.
4. Enter a name or reference in **Search** to narrow the list.
5. Click **Assign** next to the interpreter you want, or click **Auto Assign** to take the first match for the selected language.

eCourtDate copies the event date into the task due date and the event location into the task location, and builds the task title from the event reference and case number. The **Assign Interpreter** panel appears only while the event has no interpreter task.

#### Step 3: Assign an interpreter to a client

1. Open the client record from **Clients**.
2. Click **Assign Interpreter** on the client record.
3. Select the **Language** you need.
4. Click **Assign** next to the interpreter you want, or click **Auto Assign**.

A task created from a client record carries no location or due date, so open the task afterwards and add them.

#### Step 4: Create a task from an interpreter profile

1. Go to **Cases** > **Interpreters**.
2. Click the edit icon next to the interpreter.
3. Enter a **Title** for the assignment in the **Create Task** card.
4. Select the **Language**.
5. Select the **Location**.
6. Set the **Due Date**, which defaults to tomorrow.
7. Add anything the interpreter needs to know in **Notes**.
8. Select **Allow Virtual** if the interpreter can attend remotely.
9. Click **Create Task**.

#### Step 5: Track and update interpreter tasks

1. Go to **Cases** > **Interpreter Tasks**.
2. Click **All**, **Requested**, **Assigned**, **Accepted**, **Declined**, or **Completed** to filter the list by status.
3. Narrow the list further with the **Search Interpreter Tasks** card, which filters on **Title**, **Interpreter**, **Language**, **Location**, **Status**, **Due From**, and **Due To**.
4. Click the task title or its edit icon to open the task.
5. Update **Title**, **Status**, **Language**, **Location**, **Due Date**, **Duration (minutes)**, **Amount**, **Allow Virtual**, or **Notes**.
6. Click **Save**.

### What to Expect

Tasks created from the **Assign Interpreter** panel start with the requested status. The **Interpreter Tasks** list sorts by due date, earliest first, and shows a red badge on any due date that has passed while the task is not completed or declined. On the event page the **Assign Interpreter** panel is replaced by an interpreter card with a **Manage Assignment** button as soon as a task exists. The task page shows the same card with the interpreter's languages, hourly rate, and contact details, plus the **Virtual Meeting** link and code when the task allows virtual attendance.

### Best Practices

- **Save every language on the profile.** The **Language** filter, **Auto Assign**, and the language list on an assigned task all work off the languages stored on the interpreter record.
- **Enter an Hourly Rate.** With a rate on the profile and a **Duration (minutes)** on the task, the task page offers a one click suggested **Amount**.
- **Create your locations first.** **Location** is a dropdown of agency locations, so an unlisted courtroom or building cannot be selected on the task.
- **Fill in Virtual Link and Virtual Code** for interpreters who work remotely, then select **Allow Virtual** on the tasks they can cover that way.
- **Filter by status regularly.** Open tasks stay flagged as overdue only until they are marked completed or declined, so work the **Requested** and **Assigned** filters ahead of hearing dates.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Where do I create an interpreter task?**

A: From the **Assign Interpreter** panel on an event or a client record, or from the **Create Task** card on an interpreter profile. The **Interpreter Tasks** page searches and edits existing tasks, it does not create them.

**Q: Which languages appear in the Language dropdown?**

A: The eCourtDate language list with English removed, plus sign languages such as American Sign Language (ASL). On a task that already has an interpreter, the list narrows to the languages saved on that interpreter's profile.

**Q: Can I request a virtual interpreter?**

A: Select **Allow Virtual** on the task. When the interpreter profile holds a **Virtual Link** or **Virtual Code**, the interpreter card on the task shows those **Virtual Meeting** details.

**Q: What statuses can an interpreter task have?**

A: Requested, assigned, accepted, declined, and completed. Change it in the **Status** dropdown on the task, or in the **Status** column of the **Tasks** table on the interpreter profile.

**Q: How is the task Amount set?**

A: You enter it. When the interpreter has an **Hourly Rate** and the task has a **Duration (minutes)**, a shortcut under the field fills in the rate multiplied by the minutes divided by 60.

**Q: Can eCourtDate assign interpreters automatically?**

A: Yes. Turn on **Auto Assign Interpreters** under **Settings** > **Interpreter Scheduling**, then set **Assignment Trigger**, **Initial Task Status**, **Trigger Languages**, **Trigger Event Types**, **Minimum Lead Time**, **Selection Strategy**, and the interpreter pools.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The **Auto Assign** button stays disabled.

**Symptoms:** In the **Assign Interpreter** panel, **Auto Assign** is greyed out and does nothing when you click it.

**Solution:** Select a specific language in **Language**. **Auto Assign** needs a language and stays disabled while **Any language** is selected.

**Issue:** The panel reports that no interpreters were found.

**Symptoms:** The **Assign Interpreter** panel shows "No interpreters found." or an alert that no matching interpreter is available.

**Solution:** The panel lists only interpreters that match the selected **Language** and the **Search** text. Clear **Search**, switch to **Any language**, or add the missing language to the interpreter's profile under **Cases** > **Interpreters**.

**Issue:** The **Assign Interpreter** panel is missing from an event.

**Symptoms:** The event page shows an interpreter card with a **Manage Assignment** button where the panel used to be.

**Solution:** The event already has an interpreter task. Click **Manage Assignment** to open that task and update its language, location, due date, or status.

### Related Articles

- [How to Manage Cases](/how-to-manage-cases)
- [How to Manage Events](/how-to-manage-events)
- [How to Create Locations](/how-to-create-locations)
- [How to Manage Clients](/how-to-manage-clients)