Translation order timeline — what to actually expect

Posting this since I couldn't find a clear timeline expectation anywhere before I ordered mine. For context: I had 11 documents needing certified translation, mixed lengths, one language. Rough shape of how it went: quote came back same day after documents were uploaded, I approved it, and the actual certified translations were done in batches over about a week and a half rather than all at once — which worked fine for me since I was still gathering additional exhibits anyway, but would have been tight if I'd needed everything on a hard deadline. A couple of practical notes for anyone about to do this: - Upload the cleanest scan you have — a certified translation reflects exactly what's on the page, so a low-quality source scan makes the translator's job harder and can slow things down - If a document has stamps, seals, or handwritten annotations, flag that up front rather than letting the translator discover it — it usually needs to be described in the certification, not just translated - Double-check names and dates in the finished translation against the original before submitting — translation is accurate to the source, but that doesn't catch an error that was already in the original document