Translation FAQ by The Legal Translation Company

How do you charge for translations?

We charge a "per word" rate. The rate per word depends on the language combination, complexity of the subject matter, and the turnaround time you require. We do NOT charge text expansion fees (typically 15 - 20% extra charged by many companies). Click here for details on our translation pricing.

How do I count the words in my document?

Doing a word count can be tricky, especially if your document contains pictures with embedded text or you have a PDF. You can do an accurate word count if you have a Word for Windows document that contains only text. Microsoft Word 2007 shows the word count in the lower left-hand side of the application. The easiest way to get a word count is to send us all of your documents and let us do the word count for you. We have advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) programs that can do word counts on any document or image and in any language, including Asian and Middle Eastern languages.

How long will it take to translate my document?

The average turnaround time is 2,000 words a day; however, we do offer faster turnaround times. With Express Service you will receive your translation in half the time it takes for our regular service. With Emergency Service you will receive your translation within 24 hours. The fees for Express and Emergency services depend on the complexity of your project. Our maximum translation rate is 100,000 words a day.

Who performs the translation?

We only hire certified translators with exceptional credentials and experience. Each translator (1) holds at least one graduate degree such as a Juris Doctorate, Legum Magister (Master of Laws) or Ph.D., (2) has work experience relevant to the subject-matter they are translating, (3) is fully certified by the American Translators Association (ATA) or equivalent body, (4) ranks in the top 5% of linguists who have taken our internal exams, (5) has proven to be responsive, talented, and committed to the projects they undertake.

How do you ensure your translations are accurate?

All LTC translations are accurate. We designed our quality control system to allow each team member to perform their functions in real time, supporting each other's specialized functions, checking each other's work, sharing terminology databases and research, and receiving anonymous feedback from our independent quality assurance agents. Continuous process improvements are built in. Our project management system is adapts to the needs of any project and allows different skill sets to complement each other almost instantaneously.

How do you enforce confidentiality?

We recognize that legal translations require absolute confidentiality. Every team member who handles your document signs (1) an in-house corporate non-disclosure agreement, and (2) a project-by-project confidentiality agreement. Our project management system allows us to control exactly who has access to your documents, and levels of access are adjusted to the role of the authorized team member.

Can you certify my document for use in legal proceedings?

Yes. LTC can certify and notarize your translations for use in legal proceedings. If we correct documents translated by another company, we can provide you with a certificate of accuracy, and notarize it for legal reasons.

Do you need to see the original documents to certify and notarize the translation for legal purposes?

No. We do not need to handle your original documents. For legal, academic, and professional purposes, we only need to certify the translation. This is what legal, academic, and professional authorities will expect.

What document formats can you accept and deliver?

We accept all document types. These include Microsoft Office documents, all Adobe formats, Quark Xpress documents, PDFs, and image files. We empower our in-house desktop publishers with the latest application versions. We can deliver your documents in any format.

What method should I use to send my documents, and how do you send them back?

You can send your documents by email, Internet, fax, mail, overnight service, courier, removable media (like Iomega Zip or Jaz disks, CDRs or floppy disks). We are able to receive both PC and Mac formats, although our our staff and administrators mostly use PC-based systems. We can send you your translations in any format you require.

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