When two parties who speak different languages need to do legal activities, they may need to translate documents. These legal activities may either be business-related or purely law-related. However, translating these documents from one language to another can be tricky due to their highly technical nature. Therefore, only a qualified professional translator can offer legal translation, but what does this activity entail?
The translation of legal documents involves rendering documents about the law. This type of translation covers legal documents like contracts, statutes, agreements, patents, and other documents covering legal matters. This area of translation is quite extensive and involves multiple elements. This post discusses all you should know about it, including the people who can offer the service.
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What Is Legal Language Translation? What Does It Entail?
Despite being a popular topic in the industry, people aren’t always very sure what legal language translation entails. This activity involves translating the language people use for legal purposes or in legal settings. While people sometimes misconstrue this translation as useful only in law courts, that is not always true.
Generally, legal translation covers other aspects of the legal field, such as business operations that require legal documents. Nonetheless, these translations all involve legal terminology that could sometimes be tricky for an untrained individual. This is why only professional legal translators offer this service.
While people naturally think anyone who knows two languages can translate legal documents, this is not always true. Since legal terms and the general language are not usually straightforward, translation is always arduous.
Unlike most other areas of translation that allow anyone with the language skills to work on documents, legal translation doesn’t. Of course, other basic translation needs do not always require certified and accredited professionals. However, legal tasks require the most skilled professionals with the necessary accreditations to validate their standing.
All these considerations aim to optimize the quality of these translations of legal documents. Since errors and misrepresentations are usually costly and problematic, clients vet translators strongly before hiring them. Accurate translations are always the end goal for tasks of this nature.
Can Anyone Translate Legal Documents?
Relevant authorities allow anyone with the skill to translate certain documents provided they attest to their accuracy. While this practice is convenient for people with translation needs, questions about this also apply to legal documents. So, can anyone translate legal documents considering the ensuing validity?
Not anyone can translate this type of document. This is because you’d require certified translations for all legal documents. Since certified translations only come from select professionals, the allowance is limited. While excellence in both languages remains an essential prerequisite, other factors also play in such cases.
Despite being well-versed in both the source and target languages, individual translations may not enjoy acceptance without any certification. This practice ensures that the quality and accuracy are always at the required levels. In addition to that, you cannot translate your legal documents even if you’re qualified. Instead, always hire professionals, preferably translators from companies and agencies, to do your tasks.
Since these professional translators offer certified services, you’d be certain of obtaining results that count and represent the original content. The problem in these situations is always to prove the accuracy of the translated documents. This issue becomes simplified when you provide the translator’s profile.
Who Can Translate Legal Documents?
The biggest factor to prioritize when translating your legal documents should be accuracy. Since this factor is paramount for such tasks, people are unsure who can offer the service. Since the associated documents are almost always technical, you may wonder who can translate legal documents.
Only translators with expertise should translate legal documents to maintain high accuracy. While language expertise is also very important, it does not solely count in this type of translation. But concerning language skills, a translator should preferably be a native speaker of the language of interest.
Being a native speaker gives you an advantage when translating a deeper aspect of the language. A translator with this characteristic still stands on better ground regarding the required legal expertise. Simply put, a translator who understands legal matters will better grasp the legal terminology in the documents.
Another essential factor is the translator’s cultural understanding of the zone and language. Cultural understanding of a people helps create better translations by factoring in their expressions, unmentioned meanings, and peculiar laws. Besides that, a wide knowledge of the native language helps.
These factors help make more relatable translations instead of creating renders that lose meaning along the way. Of course, it is always pertinent for each party to understand the content of a legal document. Therefore, always look for professionals that can generate the desired outcome.
How To Translate Legal Documents: 6 Considerations You Shouldn’t Forget
Although this process appears straightforward, taking legal documents through the translation process is sometimes arduous. However, since people do not normally create these translations by themselves, it simply involves choosing a legitimate translator. So, consider these steps when thinking about how to translate legal documents.
Find an Agency With a Solid Record
When dealing with the translation of legal documents, accuracy is always the end goal. Because of this, you must always find translation companies with good records to do the task. Prioritize companies with experience and expertise in this kind of work. Reviews and recommendations from family and friends are one way to start.
Prioritize Agencies With Native-Speaking Translators
To maintain high-level accuracy, it is always better to prioritize translation agencies with translators who speak the native language. Since a native speaker would generally possess a better knowledge of the language and its intricacies, they offer cleaner results. Also, native speakers may be more familiar with a language’s legal terms and concepts than others.
Double Check the Translators’ Credentials
Observing their credentials is an important way to discover your translator’s legitimacy in the translation business. This verification includes checking if they have the necessary certifications and education to provide the desired results. Also, it would help if you verified their strength in both the source and target languages.
In this case, prioritize agencies that only work with certified translators. Also, ensure that they double-check their experience in the legal field. Since people with some legal experience understand the concepts better, they are in better positions to offer more accurate translations.
Choose Agencies That Provide Certified Translations
Legal documents for official or court purposes usually require certified translations. These certifications assert the translation’s accuracy and the translator’s pedigree, validating the document. Therefore, you must only work with translation agencies that offer certified services to ensure that your results are acceptable.
Certified translations usually include a certificate of accuracy that accompanies the translated document. Also, remember that not all translation companies offer legal document translations. So, while some may insist on rendering your documents, you must always be certain of their capabilities.
Confirm That the Agency Prioritizes Confidentiality
In addition to translating and certifying documents to mark their authenticity, you must also confirm the translation agency’s confidentiality policies. Since legal documents usually contain sensitive and classified information, they always confirm that the agency prioritizes information safety.
In light of this, the translation company should accept to sign non-disclosure agreements to protect your documents. This is why you should only go for companies with solid reputations and a significant presence in the industry.
Confirm the Pricing Before Hiring a Translation Agency
Generally, legal document translation can be expensive due to its demanding nature. This is why it is essential to understand the pricing before jumping into a deal. In this case, find a company that provides a clear pricing plan. The company should be willing to offer quotes that capture how much each service will cost to confirm the pricing.
Is Legal Translation the Same as the Translation of Court Documents?
Since legal document translation became mainstream, it has captured much attention from people in the legal field. However, several concepts remain quite unclear. Many players are not often aware of the scope of this type of translation. For instance, people are sometimes unsure if the translation of court documents falls within this category.
Court document translation is one major aspect of legal document translation. This type of translation has been around for ages, even before the industry went digital. Court document translation covers all the documents used in a courtroom setting. These documents include pleadings, dockets, briefs, motions, memoranda, expert testimonies, and orders.
On the other hand, legal documents span across several aspects of business and legal operations. They include any document that holds legal bearing between two or more parties. For instance, documents that formalize agreements or obligations between these parties are essential examples of this type of document.
Legal document translation generally covers contracts, power of attorney, non-disclosure agreements, will and testament, prenuptial agreements, patents, and rental agreements. Marriage certificates and birth certificates also fall within the category of legal documents.
Another common factor between these documents is their utmost dependence on accuracy. In any case, slips in accuracy result in an ultimately invalid document that could pose long-term problems. That is why you must always prioritize accuracy, working only with professionals with a proven record.
What Is Certified Legal Translation, and Why Is Certification Compulsory?
Unlike other translated documents, legal document translations require extra files that attest to their accuracy and completeness. These extra files certify that a professional legal translator created the translation. But since this is exclusive to these documents, you may wonder why a certified legal translation is compulsory.
Certifications are compulsory for legal documents due to the sensitive nature of these documents. Since errors are quite costly regarding legal issues, these certifications shift the liability to translators. As a result, translators who aren’t fit for the role avoid incurring such liabilities. This simple factor maintains integrity in the industry, helping to weed out incompetent or unreliable translators.
Besides aiming at minimizing errors in translations, certifications of documents also indicate the translators who have worked on documents. Certified documents carry the crest and letterheads of the company or agency, showing the professionals offering the service.
Can I Use a Legal Translation Website?
While many users prefer working with physical, legal translation services, they are not as popular as their online counterparts. Using an online legal translation website has become more popular over time. However, some people are not always sure about the use of these websites since you can’t always confirm their authenticity.
Well, you can use legal translation websites to render your documents effectively. While many unreliable options exist, you can always find alternatives that produce accurate and efficient results. Choosing one authentic alternative can be tricky, especially since you can’t always test their features beforehand.
That notwithstanding, there are valid ways to pick standard websites for legal document translation tasks. For example, customer reviews offer an effective way of determining websites that provide the best translation services. You can find reviews on platforms like Google Business Profiles and Yelp.
Besides utilizing reviews, word of mouth from family and friends is one good alternative. Since you may know someone who has hired legal translators, you can always ask for recommendations based on their experiences.
These translation websites have become the go-to options for people looking for legal translation in recent times. The convenience they offer and their turnover speed make them valid options if you do not find physical translation places. Rapid Translate, one of the most popular translation agencies, offers a wide range of services and has grown in reputation. This company translates legal documents across over 60 languages.
The agency helps people upgrade their global communication capabilities. It is useful for people expanding their businesses, studying abroad, or linking with other cultures. Rapid Translate helps break language barriers while connecting the world. Order now to enjoy seamless communication!
