Law firms are the most demanding buyers of translation, and reasonably so: the documents they file will be read by an opposing party whose job is to find the gap.
Problem one: terms that look alike but are not equivalent
The Indonesian legal system and precedent-based systems use different frameworks, so some terms have no exact counterpart. Translating them from a general dictionary produces a document that is linguistically correct and legally misleading.
The correct practice is to retain the original term with an explanation in brackets or a translator's note, rather than forcing an equivalent that carries different legal weight. A vendor who never offers translator's notes is probably guessing.
Problem two: consistency across files
One case can involve dozens of documents translated at different times, sometimes by different people. If a key term is rendered differently across files, the opposing party will point it out.
- Lock the case glossary at the outset, before the first file is worked on.
- Make sure it covers party names, job titles, document names and recurring technical terms.
- Require it to be maintained and reused across every file in the same case, including files arriving months later.
- Reserve the right to receive it if the engagement ends mid-case.
Problem three: volume arriving all at once
Due diligence and evidence bundles often arrive as thousands of pages against a court deadline that cannot move. Handling that volume requires several translators working in parallel, which itself raises the risk of inconsistency.
What to ask for
- Staged delivery so the team can start reviewing early
- One editor harmonising the output of the parallel team
- Periodic progress reports with pages completed
- Flagging of passages needing your decision on terminology
What to prepare
- Documents sorted by priority rather than by file order
- One person on your side authorised to decide terminology
- Clarity on what must be sworn and what is only for understanding
- An internal deadline earlier than the court deadline
Saving money without losing validity
Not every file needs sworn translation. In many cases most documents are translated so the team can understand them, and only a small subset is actually filed as evidence. Making that distinction can cut cost substantially.
The usual approach: professional translation for understanding in the early phase, then sworn translation only for the documents finally selected for filing. The key is to use the same glossary at both stages so nothing shifts.
Confidentiality on undisclosed matters
The confidentiality agreement needs signing before the first file is sent, and it needs to prohibit using document content to train any automated system. Raise this explicitly rather than assuming it is covered.
Read about NDAs and data security