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Q&A
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We have a set of documents in different languages that require translation. How can we get started?Please email or securely upload your documents so we can review. Usually in less than an hour we can send you our time and cost estimates. We treat all materials highly confidentially but of course can quickly execute a NDA prior to next any steps.
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If you use attorneys as translators and editors, are you more expensive than other translation providers?"Our pricing is competitive and we actually save our clients considerable time and money over the course of most translation projects. Our documents are first translated by attorneys and then edited by separate attorneys for total quality assurance. This means our translations are right the first time -- so you can eliminate the added expense of attorney review on your end if you prefer. Historically, our translations are so accurate in over 90% of all projects we take on, we find legal, techincal and other drafting errors in the source material.
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I have a few legal documents in English I want translated into Russian - can you use computer or online translation tools to assist?Unfortunately, no. While showing great improvements, computer or internet translations (also called “machine translations”) are frequently prone to serious errors and omissions especially for legal and technical documents. Currently, only human translators are capable of producing translations that meet our rigorous quality standards. Also, if we are asked to “verify” or correct computer translations, it is usually more time consuming and expensive than creating a new translation from “scratch.” If interested, we are happy to provide further details to explain more. We do use “translation memory” or “TM” which in short means our human translators create or use your vocabulary list and then apply these to the translations which can safe time and money for duplicate words or phrases.
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How much does translation cost?We always work with our clients to save the most without compromising quality. That’s how we earn our high volume of repeat business. There are many factors that go into translation pricing including language directions, content, format, legibility and of course deadlines so there are no set rates. We are constantly monitoring market supply and demand conditions able to match you with the absolute best linguistic talent at the lowest possible rates. At ATS unlike our competitors we have one central location but work with vetted translators around the world. This saves us overhead not keeping offices open when we can serve you 24/7 from one central US-based location. We do also offer attractive trial and volume discount rates. As rule of thumb, the more turnaround time allowed, you save more so it pays off to try to plan and schedule your translations advance. In terms of timing, a typical translator can do so between 3,500 to 4,500 words per day maximum. So a hypothetical 9,000 word translation would take about 3 days for full translation then an extra day or two for proper editing and proofing. If needed sooner, we would assign the document to more than one translator and multiple editors to meet your expedited deadline. We do routinely take on rush or emergency translations having turned some requests around in a matter of hours or overnight. Of course, this costs more and is not optimal but can be arranged depending on translator availability, document content, etc.
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We are ready to approve the job. What forms of payment do you accept? How do you invoice?At the end of any assignment, we will email our invoice. You can use the “click to pay option” directly in the invoice or we also accept check, credit card, ACH, PayPal, wire transfer and Venmo. For individual personal translation requests such as transcripts, immigration documents, etc. (not from a company, law firm, etc.) we typically ask for 50% advance payment.
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Do certify translations? What guarantees do you offer?Yes to both! Upon request we offer a letter of certification. As for a guarantee, we will correct free of charge an indisputable mistranslation, a grammatical mistake, an omission, or a typographical error, provided that these are brought to our attention within 30 days of the delivery of the work product.
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Do you allow direct contact with project translators?Yes! Unlike many of our competitors we believe in total transparency and openly encourage direct communication with your project translator(s). We believe this leads to improved satisfaction and better outcomes saving you time, money and greatly improving outcomes. Please keep in mind that our attorney translators and interpreters do not offer legal advice or opinion. However, if you like, we can make arrangements for you to engage these professionals independently for such services apart from ATS.
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I am tired of dealing with inexperienced project managers at our current translation provider. They seem to constantly rotate and it's so frustrating to have to start over from the beginning each time. How can you help?Simple. All of our project managers have a minimum of 20 years experience all with deep language and translation skills. Our turnover is extremely low so you can expect a single point of contact for the duration of your assignment from start to finish. Some of our project managers have worked with the same clients for over 10 years understanding the nuances and complexities of their requirements. Some clients have told us our project managers and translators take on an "in-house" feel without the cost of obligation of retaining permanent linguistic client. This type of outsourcing saves our clients time, money and headaches of replicating these functions internally. Another added value of working with ATS is continuity and document archival services. So as your internal personnel change over time, can offer archival capability and seamless continuity so you don't have to hunt for files and past translations. In fact, one litigation attorney client called us from an airport headed to court hearing was able to locate a key translated document on their servers. We found it in minutes so she could have it printed and ready when she walked into court.
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I have laboratory test results pertaining to a product liability case I'm working on. Does ATS offer Japanese technical translations?Yes, we have delivered tens of thousands of pages of highly technical translations to our clients around the world in Japanese and many other languages. We only assign subject matter expert translators to these projects so you can rely on the accuracy of our technical translations.
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I'm leaving for Paris tomorrow morning and must have this nondisclosure agreement translated into French. Can you help me?Yes, we routinely handle rush and expedited translations for clients overnight, during weekends and holidays. At the time of booking, we will discuss any applicable rush fees for your prior approval.
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My law firm needs a Chinese translator for a deposition in San Francisco next week. Do you provide these services?Yes, we do. Our pre-screened legal and technical interpreters are available in most major cities of the world, or are prepared to travel to your location where and when you need them. We also offer remote langauge services via telephone or other secure computer links such as Zoom and WebEx depending on your requirements.
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Do you offer translation certificates?Yes, an ATS certification is provided upon request.
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Our law firm is preparing for a high-profile litigation case against a foreign pharmaceutical company. We have a large volume of discovery documents we cannot read. Can you help us?Yes, we have two options to assist you. We can review the documents at your location, or virtually depending on your requirements. This process can save you time and money because our legal professionals can work with your lawyers to determine which documents are pertinent to your case. All too often, law firms needlessly translate entire batches of documents without instituting a rigorous screening and review process in advance which can dramatically cut costs. As lawyers and linguists, we are qualified to help you determine which documents actually merit translation for your case.
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We have received a letter of intent from a European firm that wants to acquuire our company. This matter is highly confidential and must be treated with the utmost care to prevent disclosure of this news.One of the distinguishing factors about working with ATS is the degree of confidentiality protection we offer to our clients. In addition to nondisclosure agreements, we execute with you, all of our legal translators are attorneys operating under their own licensed professional code of ethics. This high standard of professionalism further prevents unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, so your information is secure. Many of our largest clients freely share highly-sensitive matters with us because they know we can be trusted to protect their private information. At ATS, we adhere to cutting-edge information and security protocols constantly upgrading our systems and continually monitoring threats at all levels. For us, protecting your confidentiality is always front center of the tursted and reliable client services we provide.
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I have two paragraphs sent to me in an Italian e-mail that I cannot read. Will ATS translate this for me?Yes, we are pleased to asist. Our project minimum is $95 unless you are an established, active customer in which case we will usually perform this reqeust at our regular per word rate as part of an ongoing assignment.
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A Spanish speaking paralegal at our law firm translated a first draft of a business contract. Can you check to see if his work is accurate?Sure, one of our bilingual attorneys can perform this verification work and edit the document as needed. For this type of assignment, we charge on a time fee basis, which we can discuss with you in advance. A common mistake we see is that clients believe just because someone is proficient in a language, especially at a spoken level, that does not necessarily qualify them to be a competent translator particularly for legal and technical matters. We will give you our best professional judgement at the time of our review letting you know if the translation can be tweaked or if it requires a complete makeover.
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I offer compliance legal counsel to a financial services company. Because of reporting requirements, they have to translate financial documents on a quarterly basis. Could you help us set up a system to manage these translations for their global operations under one service agreement?"Yes, with a single point of contact we can handle all of your scheduled periodic translation requirements. We will only assign individuals knowledgeable in this particular field so you can be confident that the translations will be accurate, timely and on budget.
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ATS translated a German language legal brief for us a few weeks ago. We were wondering if your translators could offer us guidance and opinions on how to best formulate an effective defense strategy for our client. Do you provide these services?No, we are not engaged in the practice of law and we cannot offer legal advice or opinions. Although our legal translators are attorneys, we only provide translation and interpretation services. We can, however, provide names and references of firms and individuals unrelated to ATS that may be able to assist you with your legal questions. Also we can make arrangements so you can separately and independently engage these attorney translators for legal services apart from ATS. Already familiar with a case matter, this approach can often save you time and hassles of locating a qualified professional especially for international matters.
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Our firm is responding to a class-action litigation matter that involves a significant volume of Spanish-language documents. For logistical and document control purposes, we have decided to manage the translation process at our location. Will your translators be able to assist us in this capacity?"Yes, we can offer our services at your location or remotely depending on your requirements. Our translators and project managers are highly experienced in handling all levels of litigation translation including attorney privilege review, document coding, witness deposition preparation, language expert witnesses and trial document management.
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Financial regulators in Brazil have requested us to provide answers to a set of questions which we must respond to in 72 hours. How can we proceed and what confidentiality protections do you take to keep this private?We routinely translate to and from Brazilian Portuguese so we can definitely assist. Going a step further, our translators are not only attorneys, but we will select from this group those with deep financial and banking experience - never generalist translators which unfortunately is the industry default response. Our confidentiality protections are unmatched in the translation industry and we are pleased to provide full details.
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We are opening a new facility in Mexico and need to translate our employee handbooks, training manuals and other materials into Spanish. Is this something you can do?"Yes, Spanish is one of our highest volume languages spoken in 21 countries. We will review your documents and assign each type to a subject matter expert including attorney translators with human resource and extensive employee law practice and translation experience.
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A Swedish court has served one of our executives with a subpoena to testify. Do you have resources for this type of request?Yes, you have come to the right place. Our Swedish attorney translators can expertly translate the materials quickly and accurately for you to use with internal and outside counsel. We are familiar and handle similar investigations for companies, law enforcement agencies and governments around the world. We understand the sensitivities involved and our return clients count on our professionalism, reliability and confidentiality at all stages. We can guide you further in person, by phone or email for next steps.
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We are paring for a large-scale litigation case involving a product liability matter. In total we have and estimated 8,000 documents Japanese including emails, test reports, presentations in Excel, PowerPoint, videos and audio recording. We will need a team of privilege document review attorneys to help with e-discovery coding and later interpreting for witness preparation and expected depositions in California, New York, and Japan."ATS is a recognized expert in helping clients with all levels of litigation and trial preparation. We have a seasoned team of Japanese attorney translators that can assist you at your locations or virtually with all stages of privilege review, translation, coding, witness preparation and interpreting. Since our founding in 2003, we have been selected by a number of leading Global 100 law firms to meet a full range of litigation support. We are deeply familiar and assist clients in e-discovery platforms including Relativity, Everlaw, Logikcuss, Sightline, NextPoint, DISCO, Sightline, ZyLab ONE and others providers. At no additional cost, our in-house technical support team can assist you with the most complex aspects of e-discovery especially integrating Asian and other non-Roman languages.
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