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Globalization is the only way forward in today’s world, and here business organizations, medical professionals, and legal aid providers, along with individuals, often require the help of translation services for effective communication with people from all across the globe.

The content after a document is being translated can heavily impact the outcome of a business proposal, a legal matter and an immigration procedure. But when people decide to seek the help of translation service providers, one of the common questions that arise in their minds is whether to hire a freelancer or a certified translator to get the job done.

There are several factors that need to be taken under consideration before making this decision, as it is associated with the long-term success of the individual or organization. The overall choice between translation agencies vs. freelance translators depends on the amount one needs to spend to avail the service, convenience and compliance and, last but not least, the quality of the translated document.

Basic Differences between Best Translation Agencies and Freelancers

Before informing you about the one you should go with, we must tell you about the fundamental differences between a freelance service provider and a translator agency offering the service of certified translators.

A freelancer handles all the aspects of the work alone, from translation to proofreading and also communication with the client. On the contrary, a translation agency has access to the services of several translators who can collaborate with each other to handle multiple projects at once.

Along with the translators, in a translation agency, editors and proofreaders work in tandem. There are also subject matter experts who can lend their industry-specific knowledge to make a project work and to guarantee consistent results.

As both of them solve the language problem, the scale in which they operate and availability of the resources, along with reliability, is what set these two apart.

Expertise: The key to success

If you have to deal with a lot of legal matters or you are in a business that has to manage projects from different spectrums, then having a translation agency in your corner can prove to be game-changing, as they have a team of certified translators with industry-specific knowledge.

These experts do more than mere word-to-word translation. They understand the tone and context in which the original document has been drafted and then, by using their expertise, translate it to make it culturally relevant and legally compliant.

A freelancer can have knowledge of different fields but often lacks the subject matter expertise to deal with the legal aspects of the translation and often misinterprets the intended tone of the document, which creates problems when the translated document is put to use.

Assured Quality: A Symbol of Trust

Translation agencies stand out in terms of guaranteeing quality. A translation agency follows a multi-step review process, and it includes

• Translation carried out by an experienced linguist
• Editing certain sections of the document by a second expert.
• Proofreading to keep a check on grammatical and formatting errors
• Overall quality check of the document before handing over the document to the customer.

On the other hand, freelance translators who work on their own have to do all these processes single-handedly, and in doing so, often rush the procedures, which in turn leads to errors in the final translated document.

Most of the certified translation agencies in Dubai implement the quality management standards that have been followed globally.

Data Security: A Defining Factor

Documents such as business proposals and contracts possess sensitive information which, if it gets into the wrong hand, can prove to be fatal. A translation agency adheres to tight security protocols and signs an NDA with the customer to avoid data breaches and takes full responsibility for securing the information.

In contrast to this secure file-transferring system and data protection policies, freelancers do not provide these facilities and don’t sign NDAs in most of the cases. So the threat of data breaches always looms over the head of the customer.

Cost Effectiveness and Long-Term Benefits

Opting for the service of a freelancer is undoubtedly a cost-effective option, but when you take long-term benefits under consideration, then you will realize that in the long run assured quality and security are more important than the amount paid to avail yourself of the service.

When you choose to invest in a professional translation agency, you are reducing the chances of errors which can prove to be costly in the future.

Legal Acceptance of the Translated Documents

Documents that are being translated for official purposes such as legal, governmental and immigration proceedings need to have the certification of the translator guaranteeing that the information provided in the translated document is verified and is the same as mentioned in the original one. Some of the documents that get only accepted when translated by a certified translator are the following:

• Birth certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Academic transcripts
• Court documents
• Business licenses

If your document falls into any one of the abovementioned categories, then you should look for certified translation agencies in Dubai which are known to offer certified, attested translated documents which are legally recognized by the courts and immigration offices, along with several other government bodies and educational institutions.

In most of the cases it has been seen that though a freelance translator may possess all the necessary skills required to get the job done and be doing quality work, they are unable to provide the certification required to make the translated document legally valid.

Final Thoughts

So it all comes down to the type of document that you are thinking of translating. In case the document is simple and does not require certification necessary to make it legally compliant as per the UAE government guidelines, you can put your faith in a freelancer. But when the quality needs to be consistent throughout a project where multiple documents need to be translated in a short period, then you should trust only a reliable translation agency that has been in business for the past several years.

So, make an informed decision, and in case you decide to avail yourself of the legal translation services in Dubai from a reputed translation agency that has a team of highly qualified and experienced translators, look no further than QTS.