The verdict in three sentences
For a Jersey City firm working in immigration, financial services employment, real estate or commercial law, a redesign costs a 2026 ballpark of USD 12,000 to 40,000 for an English-only site and USD 20,000 to 75,000 with several languages, versus USD 4,900 (Growth) or USD 8,900 (Premium) at Kolonell. The technical decision that wins or loses traffic is the multilingual URL structure and its redirects. The professional conduct issue is wording: no promised outcome on a visa or a case, and a review against New Jersey attorney advertising rules before launch.
Which URL structure for a multilingual site?
Between Exchange Place, Newport and Journal Square, many firms serve clients who prefer to read in a language other than English. The structure you pick drives search visibility and the redirect map.
| Structure | Example | Search impact | 2026 agency ballpark for the extra cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subfolders | /es/, /hi/ | Shared domain authority, simple hreflang tags | USD 3,000 to 10,000 per language |
| Subdomains | es.firm.com | Partly separate authority | USD 4,000 to 12,000 per language |
| Separate domains | firm-es.com | Authority rebuilt from zero | USD 6,000 to 18,000 per language |
| Machine translation overlay | Translation widget | Translated pages rarely indexed, legal quality not guaranteed | USD 0 to 600 per year |
| Isolated translated pages | One Spanish page per practice | Weak linking, inconsistencies | USD 500 to 1,500 per page |
For a law firm, subfolders are usually the best compromise. A machine translation overlay is best avoided on pages describing legal processes.
What does the redesign cost by number of languages?
| Scope | Freelancer | Local agency (Hudson County, Manhattan) | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| English only, 20 to 40 pages | USD 5,000 to 12,000 | USD 12,000 to 40,000 | Growth, USD 4,900 |
| English only, compact site | USD 3,000 to 7,000 | USD 8,000 to 15,000 | Starter, USD 2,900 |
| English plus one language | USD 8,000 to 18,000 | USD 20,000 to 50,000 | Premium, USD 8,900, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
| English plus two languages | USD 12,000 to 25,000 | USD 30,000 to 75,000 | Premium, languages set in the quote |
| Professional legal translation | Third-party cost | Often included or passed through | Third-party cost (independent translator) |
| Client portal, document upload | Rare | USD 10,000 and up | On quote |
Indicative ranges drawn from typical agency quotes, not survey data. Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in New York time, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support; maintenance after that is on quote. See the international offer.
The schedule in four stages
- Before build (1 to 3 weeks, firm side): bios, English practice pages, choice of languages, translator selection.
- Week 1: URL inventory, sitemap per language, hreflang plan.
- Weeks 2 and 3: design, build, article migration, 301 map, forms in each language.
- Week 4: QA, accessibility, professional conduct review of each language version, launch, then 3 months of support.
A local agency usually quotes 12 to 20 weeks for a multilingual site, because translations often arrive last.
Risks specific to Jersey City
Traffic loss. Export every indexed URL, including old translated pages, build a page-to-page 301 map, submit one sitemap per language in Search Console and track 404s for 8 weeks.
Implied promises. In immigration, a line like get your visa fast can read as a guarantee. Describe processes and public processing times without promising an outcome. Same care in employment law: no invented case results, no rankings or awards, testimonials only where the rules allow.
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Sensitive data. An immigration form can collect status, nationality or family situation. Limit fields, add a notice that submitting does not create a lawyer-client relationship, ask for party names for the conflict check and set a retention period. New Jersey has a comprehensive privacy law in force since 2025; check its thresholds with counsel.
Accessibility and downtime. ADA Title III suits frequently target websites: aim for WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA in every language. DNS cutover happens in a quiet window with a rollback ready. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask any provider: how do you handle hreflang tags? Who reviews legal translations? Does the 301 map cover old translated pages? Is the domain in our name?
When is a local agency the better choice?
If your firm wants a team that writes in several languages itself with legal reviewers on staff, video shoots in your Newport offices, or a brand campaign run in parallel in New York, a local agency brings more. It will, however, cost 3 to 8 times the price of a Kolonell tier.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Rafael Ortiz, partner at a 7-attorney immigration and employment firm near Journal Square. The English site has 120 URLs; he wants to add 40 pages in Spanish.
- Local agency quote: USD 42,000, translation included.
- Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote): USD 8,900.
- Legal translation by an independent translator (third-party cost): 40 pages at USD 60, or USD 2,400.
- Total: 8,900 plus 2,400, or USD 11,300.
- Difference: 42,000 minus 11,300, or USD 30,700.
- 301 map: 120 rows for English, the 40 Spanish pages being new.
FAQ
How much does a multilingual law firm site cost in Jersey City? As a 2026 ballpark, USD 20,000 to 75,000 with a local agency depending on the number of languages. At Kolonell, Premium at USD 8,900, languages set in the quote, excluding third-party translation.
Can we use a machine translation widget? It is not advisable for legal pages, since translated pages are rarely indexed and quality is not controlled. Professional translation typically costs USD 40 to 90 per page.
How long does the redesign take? 3 to 4 weeks of build with Kolonell once content and translations are ready, versus 12 to 20 weeks with an agency for a multilingual site.
Do New Jersey advertising rules apply to translated pages? Yes, each language version is a communication about legal services. Plan 2 to 3 hours of review per version for a 40-page site.
What does Kolonell charge after the 3 included months? Maintenance and hosting are on quote. The project price stays fixed at USD 2,900, 4,900 or 8,900.
Let's scope your project. Share your languages, URL count and target date, and we will price the redesign at Growth (USD 4,900) or Premium (USD 8,900). See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
