Knowing a language is not enough to translate a document that someone will use to decide, sign, treat or judge. It takes knowledge of the subject, a method that makes errors unlikely and someone who answers for the result. This page describes how the firm has worked on every assignment since 1995, from the quote to the delivery, and what guarantees it gives the client. The services by type of document and by sector are on the page on translation services.
Who translates
Every text is entrusted to a translator who is a native speaker of the target language and knows the subject of the document: a lawyer for judicial and notarial documents and contracts, an economist or an auditor for financial statements, a doctor for clinical documentation, an engineer for manuals and technical specifications. Many of the firm’s collaborators trained in their sector before training in languages and chose translation as a second profession. The founder, an official translator entered in the register of the Court of Rome since 1995, translates in person in her working languages and rereads what the firm swears. The network of collaborators was formed over thirty years and is complete: the firm does not collect applications.
The method
The work follows the process described by the UNI EN ISO 17100 standard for translation services: analysis of the text and of its purpose, preparation of the terminology, translation by a qualified professional, side-by-side review by a second person, final check and delivery. The side-by-side review, with the original next to the translation, is the step that distinguishes a professional translation from a simple rereading: the reviewer checks that nothing has been omitted or added, that figures, dates, names and statutory references match and that the terminology is consistent from beginning to end. For regular clients the firm builds and maintains glossaries and translation memories, so that the same terms are always rendered in the same way in all the documents of the company or professional practice.
Computer-assisted translation tools serve consistency and the handling of formats, they do not replace the translator. Machine translation is not used for official, legal, medical and corporate documents. For very large volumes of internal texts not intended for publication the firm offers, if the client wishes, the complete human review of a machine draft, with a separate quote and a clear indication of the limits of this service.
Formats, timing and delivery
The firm works on the current text, presentation and spreadsheet formats, on PDFs, including scanned ones, on layout files and on the export formats of websites and software, and returns the translation in the same format and with the same layout as the original. Timing depends on volume and subject: a specialist translator produces on average two thousand words a day of finished and reviewed text, and for urgent projects the firm divides the work among several translators with a single reviewer who guarantees uniformity. Delivery is by email or through the client’s shared workspace. Sworn and legalised translations, which exist as paper originals, are delivered at the office or sent by courier in Italy and abroad.
Confidentiality
The documents that reach the firm contain personal, medical, financial and corporate data. Collaborators are bound by confidentiality agreements, files are kept on protected systems for the time required by the assignment and by legal obligations and are deleted at the client’s request once the work is finished. On request the firm signs the confidentiality agreement prepared by the client before receiving the documents and works, for the most sensitive projects, with a small number of people identified by name.
Official value of the translation
When the translated document must be presented to an authority, the firm swears it before the court or certifies it with the statement and stamp of the official translator, depending on the country and the receiving authority, and arranges the subsequent apostille or legalisation. The choice between the two forms, sworn or certified, is stated in the quote, together with the cost of the revenue stamps and any exemptions.
How the quote is calculated
The quote is written, free of charge and arrives within one working day of sending the document. It is based on the number of words or standard pages of the original, on the language combination, on the subject and on the urgency, and states separately the formalities required: oath, certification, legalisation, shipping. The amount stated is the amount invoiced, unless the client changes the assignment. Payment is by bank transfer or by card online, and for companies and professional practices with an ongoing relationship by monthly invoicing.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I find an error in the translation delivered?
The firm corrects it at no cost and, if the translation was sworn, arranges the new oath at its own expense when the error is attributable to the translator. Reports are examined within one working day, and when the complaint concerns a debatable terminological choice the translator explains the reasons in writing.
Can I speak directly with the person translating my document?
Yes, when the text calls for it: for technical documents and long projects the firm arranges contact between the translator and the client’s contact person, so that questions on company terminology are answered during the work and not after.
How is the text of a scanned PDF or a handwritten document counted?
The firm runs optical character recognition or, for handwritten documents, makes an estimate on the basis of a sample, and states in the quote the number of words or pages considered. For certificates and short documents the price is normally per document or per page, and no count is needed.
Do you hold an ISO certification?
The firm follows the process laid down by the UNI EN ISO 17100 standard, with a qualified translator and side-by-side review by a second person, and documents it at the client’s request for tenders and corporate quality systems. The guarantee on the individual translation is given by the signature of the person who swears or certifies it, entered in the register of court experts.
Do you offer monthly invoicing for companies?
Yes. For law and notarial firms, companies and public bodies that entrust recurring assignments the firm opens a client account with agreed rates, a single contact person and a summary invoice at the end of the month, with a dedicated glossary and translation memory.
Do you want a quote for your document?
Send us the file and tell us the target language and the use you will make of it: you receive within one working day the written quote with timing, costs and the formalities required.
