The verdict in three sentences
A business law partner picks a translator on two criteria: confidentiality and quote speed. A site offering encrypted upload with an instant quote, pages by language and document type, and credible sector references opens the door to framework agreements. For a 15-translator agency in Montréal, where Bill 96 keeps French translation in constant demand, the project ships in 6 weeks for 1,220 to 5,340 EUR.
What law firms and legal departments look for
Firms on Boulevard René-Lévesque and in-house legal teams handle due diligence, share purchase agreements, court filings and documents for foreign jurisdictions. Since Bill 96, many contracts, notices and filings must also exist in French. Deadlines are short and professional secrecy is non-negotiable. The site must address these constraints from the homepage.
| Service | Indicative 2026 rate (Montréal) | Standard turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Legal translation English to French | 0.20 to 0.26 CAD per word | 2,500 words per day per translator |
| Legal translation French to English | 0.22 to 0.28 CAD per word | 2,000 to 2,500 words per day |
| Rare languages (Chinese, Arabic, Russian) | 0.28 to 0.34 CAD per word | 1,500 to 2,000 words per day |
| Certified translation (OTTIAQ member) | 60 to 120 CAD per page | 3 to 5 working days |
| Rush (under 24 h) | 25 to 50 % surcharge | Depends on volume |
| Bilingual revision by a lawyer-linguist | 0.07 to 0.11 CAD per word | 6,000 words per day |
| Annual framework agreement | 8 to 15 % discount by volume | Contractual guaranteed turnaround |
Publishing these ranges reassures the buyer and filters out off-target requests. Legal departments often compare three providers: the one with clear pricing makes the short list.
Features that close deals
The instant quote is the key feature. The client uploads a document, the system counts words, detects the language pair and proposes a price and a deadline. The file is encrypted at rest, deleted automatically after 30 days, and the agency offers an online non-disclosure agreement.
| Feature | Starter (1,220 EUR) | Growth (about 3,050 EUR) | Premium (up to 5,340 EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language pages | 6 languages | 12 languages | 20 languages + pair pages |
| Document type pages | 4 pages | 10 pages (contracts, bylaws, judgments, patents) | 18 pages + glossaries |
| Quote | Form with attachment | Encrypted upload + word count | Instant quote + online payment |
| Confidentiality | Privacy notices (Law 25) | Downloadable NDA | NDA signed online + auto purge |
| Client area | No | Quote history | Order and invoice tracking |
| French version of the site | Yes (required) | Yes | Yes + Spanish |
| Timeline | 4 weeks | 5 weeks | 6 weeks |
To target framework agreements, Growth is the minimum. Premium suits an agency that wants to collect payment online for small certified translations from individuals and SMEs, freeing project managers.
Content and search
Profitable queries are specific: "certified translation Montréal", "Bill 96 contract translation", "legal translator due diligence". Each page combines a language or document type, a turnaround, a price range and an anonymised example. Plan 4 articles a month on translation obligations (Bill 96, apostille, court filings) to earn lawyers' trust.
Mini case study
Laurence, the agency's founder, bills about 1,150,000 CAD a year, 25 % of it with law firms. She targets 4 extra framework agreements.
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A typical framework agreement covers 400,000 words a year at 0.23 CAD, or 92,000 CAD before discount. With a 10 % discount, that leaves 82,800 CAD per firm. Four agreements add about 331,000 CAD a year. With a Premium site at 5,340 EUR (about 8,000 CAD), the cost is under 2.5 % of first-year additional revenue.
FAQ
Is an instant quote compatible with professional secrecy?
Yes, if files are encrypted in transit and at rest, hosted in Canada and purged after 30 days. The agency can also offer an NDA before any upload, in line with Québec's Law 25.
Should we publish per-word rates?
Publishing ranges (0.20 to 0.34 CAD) filters unqualified requests and reassures buyers. The final price depends on volume, technicality and deadline.
How many pages are needed to rank well?
A base of 25 to 35 pages (languages, documents, sectors) covers the main Montréal queries. Growth covers about 25.
How should certified translations be presented?
A dedicated page with the price per page (60 to 120 CAD), the languages covered by your OTTIAQ-certified translators and the 3 to 5 day turnaround. Add the delivery method: signed PDF or paper original by courier.
Must the site itself be in French?
Yes. Under the Charter of the French Language, a Québec business website must be available in French, with other languages optional. The French version should be at least as complete as the English one.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your languages, document types and annual volume: we price the site between 1,220 and 5,340 EUR with go-live in 6 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
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.
