While there are several reputable and trustworthy providers offering their service both offline and online (find out more about transcription services online at www.espressotranslations.com), there are also many sly dogs who are just waiting for a chance to earn money, not caring about the clients who will be left with low-quality output. This is why it’s important to be careful when choosing a legal translation service provider. Here are some of the factors you should take into consideration when selecting a legal translation service provider.
Cultural Knowhow
Sure, it might be cheaper to hire a translator based in China that offers translation services from English to Italian or any other language that you need. However, in the long run, you will benefit more from hiring a native speaker – especially if you are trying to introduce your company into a new market – as they have a better understanding of the country’s culture and way of life. Before hiring a legal translation service provider, be sure to set up a meeting, and interview the translator. After all, the final success and output of the project you need their help with will depend on their command over the language.
Expertise
This is something that, unfortunately, many individuals fail to take into consideration when choosing a translator. While their knowledge and command over the languages is important, they also should have experience in what you need them for. What does it mean exactly? Well, a translator who has received many excellent reviews for book translations they did for their clients might not be the best choice when it comes to translating legal documents. Lack of expertise can lead to substandard translation, which is something you’d want to avoid. So, when choosing an appropriate legal translation service, you need to look at their expertise to avoid any unpleasantness.
Language Served
Suppose you are a business owner who is thinking about expanding your business into other countries. In that case, the number of languages the translation provider is dealing with is something you should really consider – maybe not for now, but for the future. While it is obvious that the agency has to have good command over the languages involved in your project, choosing a translation service provider is a perfect example of thinking ahead. Maybe you’d want to expand your business to a new country in a year or two? Dealing with two different translation agencies simultaneously is no fun – trust us, so it’s better to consider it now and choose an agency that deals with the most prominent languages in the world.
Turnaround Time
In business, timing is everything. This is why you should hire a translation agency that cares about its turnaround time, and is very strict when it comes to their deadlines. Even better if they accept penalty clauses in case of delay. This shows the professionalism of a particular agency. If an agency is not really serious about sticking to deadlines, they are probably the type to hire freelancers every time they get a new project. Unfortunately, that also means that they have very little control over the quality.
Cost
Last but not least, the factor that should be taken into account when choosing an appropriate legal translation service is the cost. Keep in mind that there will be agencies trying to lure you with their unbelievably low quotes – don’t be fooled, as usually, the quality of their services leaves a lot to be desired. On the other hand, there could be agencies charging way more than they should. That’s why the best thing you can do is to shortlist a few providers and ask them for quotes. Then, you can choose the one that offers you the best quality, as well as value for money.
The Bottom Line
Nowadays, when the world is globalized, many businesses, as well as individuals, need the help of translation agencies.The demand for them is growing, just like the number of providers. That’s one of the reasons as to why you have to be very careful when choosing the right translation agency – there are many scammers out there. To make sure that you will make the best decision possible, you should keep in mind the five factors that we listed above.
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