Updated September 2022. Translating any document is a tough task, but, when you add legal wording and technical documents to the mix, the task of translating—whether to or from English—becomes that much more difficult.
Legal translators are not only knowledgeable in the languages and cultures in which they work, but must be well educated on the legalities at hand. The translator will need a grounding in the specific type of law for which he/she is translating, and experience working with such documents.
Although it is an extensive endeavor, having such skills will enable the translator to correctly convert the text of your materials.
Who Needs Legal Translation?
It is easy to think that legal interpretation services are solely needed in the courtroom; however, that is not always the case. While lawyers do often need translated documents for clients and witnesses who do not speak English, they are not the only ones.
Business owners may need certain paperwork translated if they wish to do business with an individual who is not native to this country. Also, if you plan to expand your ideas and inventions overseas, you may need patents and trademark forms translated.
Perhaps, as a landlord or real estate agency, potential clients do not speak English fluently; a translated copy of those lease agreements and real estate details will aid potential buyers and tenants.
What Documents Are Translated?
Depending on your job, company, and personal situation, you may have a plethora of paperwork, forms, and documents that need translating. These may include:
• Contracts
• Birth certificates/death certificates
• Passports and licenses
• Wills and testaments
• Witness transcriptions (from court hearings)
• Legal ruling reports
• Laws
• Affidavits
• Partnership deeds
• Summons
• Adoption papers
• Real estate titles
• Deeds
• Sales contracts
• Insurance policies
• Recordings of phone calls (as evidence in court)
• Police interviews
• Complaints
• Court documents
• Lease papers
• Powers of attorney
• Letters of credit
• Technical documents
• Confidentiality agreements
However, while the above are usually needed for certain situations, there are some legal documents you should always have translated. Whether you are a business owner, lawyer, or anything in between, you want to make sure any and all clients/customers have access to important materials that they can understand.
• Immigration papers
• Patents
• Contracts
• Financial
• Corporate
• Litigation
• Legislation
• Regulation
As a professional, you know the absolute importance of having these types of documents and other technical forms correctly translated. Legal permits or regulations often have direct bearing on people’s well-being.
An incorrect interpretation, whether due to insufficient knowledge of the legal matter, or of the language, can create conflicts and disagreements with people you are either trying to help or with whom you are trying to conduct business. Along with losing clients, inaccurate translations of legal forms could result in financial penalties and drastically change someone’s life.
To ensure that your company’s legal paperwork is precise, you need to take important documents to a professional translation service.
How to Tell If Legal Translators Are Qualified
Any business’s paperwork and documents must be translated accurately, and this is doubly true when transferring legal forms from one language to another. If you and your organization need a legal translation, there is just no room for error.
In the translating world, you want to be leery of ads and companies online that promise fast and easy services. The truth is, if a professional translator works ethically and diligently on your materials, then it will not likely be simple.
As said before, translation is tough business, and translating legal matters makes the job even harder, but the object is not to have your translated forms rushed back to you; rather, you need them to be absolutely clear and exact for your client.
The professional has to have specialization in the legal field and know the languages that are being used for the job. Translators have a passion for language, and they graduate with multiple degrees in the language of their choice, along with spending time immersedin the relevant culture.
These professionals also have tools and software at hand to assure that their knowledge of the field is current and correct. Translators do not take their jobs lightly, and they sign on to work hard to produce accurate documents for your business.
At True Language, we want to assist you with all your company’s legal translation needs. We are professionals who are educated and credentialed, and we can be trusted with sensitive materials. When it comes to legal matters you do not want to entrust to just anybody, lean on the professionals at TrueLanguage for the precision and expertise you need.
