What is pre-editing? - LINGUA LEGIS

Pre-editing does not alter the substance or core meaning of your texts. Instead, we refine the sentence structure, syntax and terminology to make the text more clear, consistent and translation-friendly. In practice, this means: Complex sentence structures are simplified, technical terms harmonised, ambiguities are resolved and formatting is cleaned up. The substance of your original text remains the same, but the linguistic foundation for machine translation purposes becomes more robust.

While traditional editing refines a text for the human reader, linguistically and stylistically, pre-editing optimises it for its specific purpose: as a reliable translation source, standardised master document, template or training material. The focus is on terminological consistency and clarity of expression and structure – not linguistic elegance, but functional precision to ensure that the original is the "single source of truth".

The two services are not mutually exclusive. They approach the text from different perspectives and can be combined to complement each other as required.

Pre-editing is always the right choice when precision is not an option. It is highly recommended for high-stakes legal and regulatory documents, financial reports, contracts, sensitive internal policies and corporate communications. It is also recommended for texts that are translated into multiple languages, where clear and consistent global messaging is required.

Yes. Pre-editing is available both as an upstream step in the translation process and as a stand-alone service for existing texts. For example, if you wish to optimise German, English or other source-language texts before they are rolled out internationally, these can undergo pre-editing regardless of whether they are to be translated.

Once we receive your documents, we analyse the text in terms of complexity, terminology and structural requirements. On that basis, we put together a quote and define the scope of work with you. The pre-editing itself is performed by a qualified specialist with relevant expertise in the respective field. To ensure full transparency, we deliver all edits in track-changes mode, allowing you to review every refinement we make.

At LINGUA LEGIS, pre-editing is performed exclusively by qualified, native-speaking language professionals. Many of our pre-editors are specialists in law and finance, enabling them to optimise your texts with an eye for both linguistic clarity and regulatory compliance.

Before any project begins, we consult with you and align our work with your established brand guidelines and preferred company-specific terminology, wording and tone, using any existing glossaries, style guides or reference texts. The objective is not to reinvent your message, but to enhance its clarity, while preserving your brand’s unique identity.

That depends on the content and nature of your text, not the volume. Even a short document can contain liability-sensitive passages, terminological inconsistencies or structural vulnerabilities that could cause issues down the line in the translation process. We provide objective, goal-oriented advice: We recommend pre-editing where it delivers measurable added value. If your project doesn't require it, we’ll tell you that too.

While pre-editing adds an additional step to the process and is charged as such, it often generates net savings by streamlining the downstream workflow. An optimised source text reduces post-editing work, minimises revision rounds and avoids costly rework. For multilingual projects and liability-sensitive content in particular, the benefit clearly outweighs the added cost.

LINGUA LEGIS is certified in accordance with ISO 27001. All staff are bound to confidentiality; on request, we can enter into a specific non-disclosure agreement prior to the start of the project. Your documents are processed strictly within our secure environment. For us, information security is not an add-on, but an integral part of every project.

By building quality in from the start, rather than trying to add it on at the end. With pre-editing, we optimise source texts before the translation begins, reducing sources of error, shortening revision rounds and delivering more consistent results in every target language. Machine translation is a tool we use selectively, not indiscriminately. It is always a conscious choice based on the nature of the content and the risk profile. At every critical quality checkpoint, a human specialist remains in command, bringing to bear the deep subject matter expertise your financial and legal documents require.