Frequently asked questions.
Practical answers about engaging a trilingual legal assistant and certified translator — from billing and NDAs to USCIS certifications, sworn translations, and remote-work logistics.
Engagement & billing
How firms onboard, what a typical engagement looks like, and how Carol bills U.S. and international clients.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes, always. A mutual non-disclosure agreement is signed before any privileged or sensitive material is shared. Carol is also happy to work under a firm's standard NDA template if preferred.
Are you a U.S. business?
Yes. Carol operates as a U.S. business: a W-9 is provided to U.S. clients, Form 1099 is received at year-end, and payments are made to a U.S. bank account. This keeps onboarding straightforward for American law firms.
How do you bill — hourly or fixed?
Both. Virtual legal assistant work is most often billed by the hour or under a monthly retainer. Translation and discrete project work are typically quoted as a fixed fee against scope, so clients know the price before work begins.
What is the minimum engagement?
For ongoing virtual legal assistant work the typical minimum is ten hours per month. Single-document translations carry a $75 minimum to cover certification, formatting, and delivery.
Can I pause or cancel?
Yes. Retainers can be paused or cancelled with reasonable notice — usually two weeks. Any work already in progress is completed and billed; no long-term commitment is required.
Do you provide an invoice and 1099 documentation?
Yes. Itemized invoices are provided for every engagement and Form 1099 is accepted from U.S. clients. W-9 and bank details are shared during onboarding.
Confidentiality & ethics
How privileged material is handled, what is and is not shared publicly, and the firm-level safeguards we observe.
How do you handle attorney-client privileged material?
Privileged material is transferred over encrypted channels and stored only in approved client systems where possible. No third-party machine-translation or AI tools are used on privileged content, and local copies are deleted at the end of the engagement.
Will my matters appear publicly anywhere?
No. The case studies and testimonials on this site are anonymized, and identifying details are changed. Specific client matters are referenced publicly only with written permission.
Do you run conflicts checks?
Yes. When engaging with a new firm, Carol is happy to run a conflicts check against current and recent clients and to disclose any potential issues before work begins.
Languages & translation
Certification standards, language pairs, sworn translation, Apostille coordination, and realistic turnaround.
Are your translations certified for USCIS?
Yes. Every certified translation is delivered with a signed certificate of accuracy and the translator's credentials, in the format USCIS expects. Notarization is available on request, and the same format is accepted by most U.S. state and federal agencies.
Can you provide sworn translations for European jurisdictions?
Certified translations with a translator's declaration are accepted by many European bodies. For jurisdictions that require a court-sworn translator — Italy, Spain, France — Carol coordinates with a trusted network of sworn colleagues and manages the workflow end to end.
Which language pairs do you handle?
English to and from Spanish, English to and from Italian, and Spanish to and from Italian. Occasional Portuguese work is accepted on a case-by-case basis, typically alongside one of the primary pairs.
Do you handle Apostilles?
Carol does not issue Apostilles herself but routinely coordinates the workflow: identifying the competent authority, preparing the documents, and tracking the certification through to delivery. This is offered as part of a broader vital-records or estate engagement.
What is your standard turnaround?
Short documents — vital records, single-page agreements — are typically delivered within 24 to 72 hours. Longer or specialized documents are quoted individually with a confirmed delivery date before work begins.
Working remotely
Time-zone coverage, the platforms Carol works in, and what happens when she is unavailable.
What time zones do you cover?
Carol maintains overlap with U.S. East Coast and Western European business hours and provides reasonable coverage of Latin American time zones. Urgent matters outside these windows are accommodated on request.
What tools do you use?
Carol works comfortably in Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Clio, MyCase, NetDocuments, and most common e-signature and document-management platforms. New tools are adopted readily; the client's stack drives the choice.
Do you have a backup if you are unavailable?
Yes. Planned absences are announced well in advance and a written handoff is prepared for the client. For urgent translation needs, Carol maintains a small network of vetted trilingual colleagues who can step in under the same confidentiality terms.
A question we haven't answered?
Send a short note describing your firm and the work you have in mind. Replies in English, Spanish, or Italian — whichever you prefer.
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