Legal documents translation

Legal documents translation service

One of the most prominent SIGNEWORDS subject areas is legal documents translation

Signewords legal documents translation

When a field as technical and complicated as law enters the international arena, the need to incorporate legal translations appears.

SIGNEWORDS legal documents translation service helps to bridge the language barriers that inevitably arise between professionals from different parts of the world.

On the other hand, when doing business in a foreign country or immigrating, which have become increasingly common in the modern era,

legal documents may need to be officially translated according to a particular organization’s requirements. Either:

  • sworn translation,
  • or certified translation,
  • also known as legalized translation.
  • And notarized translation.

Instead, it can also be legal documents translation or legal language specialized translation.

In this article:

  • we will clear up some common misconceptions regarding these different types of legal translations
  • and demonstrate how professional translation services can help you in various situations.

Especially if you’re an international business owner or a lawyer with clients from other countries.

Types of legal documents translation services

Signewords translate technical legal language

About the following terms:

  • legal
  • certified
  • notarized
  • sworn
  • legalized

They are sometimes used interchangeably when referring to a legal translation type, but doing so can lead to serious miscommunication.

Because they are not the same.

The type of official translation you need will depend on the following considerations:

  • type of document you need to translate
  • purpose of the document
  • requirements of the organization you’re submitting that document to

The term “legal translation” indicates that a particular report is of a legal or judicial nature.

This fact doesn’t imply that the translated document has any certification that makes it “official” for governmental purposes.

It does, however, mean that a qualified translator with knowledge and qualifications in the legal field has translated the document.

Many legal translators are bar lawyers who use their expertise to dive into the field of legal translation.

Legal documents translation or how to translate technical legal language

Since legal translation involves highly professional writing, the native translator must be thoroughly familiar with legal terminology in both the source and target languages,

to ensure that the resulting legal translation is accurate and compliant with legal requirements.

This type of translation is the one you will seek when you need to have a legal document translated for personal or professional informational purposes.

In the immigration example cited above, for instance, your legal translator might have to translate documents such as your real estate and house insurance documentation,

to ensure that you understand the conditions.

In this case, an additional certification is not necessary because, after translating the documents, you don’t have to submit them to a particular entity.

Legal translations or sworn translations

sworn translation and legal translation Signewords

Sometimes, however, an organization will require that we take additional steps to submit an official translation, either:

  • sworn,
  • notarized,
  • certified
  • o legalized

A signed certificate accompanies a sworn translation,

confirming the credentials for the sworn translator and declaring that the document’s content is complete and accurate.

Documents that sometimes require a sworn translator are:

  • court transcripts
  • birth, marriage, and decease certificates
  • educational documentation
  • certain immigration documents

However, this decision depends on the office receiving that legal documentation.

Notarized translations, on the other hand, can be completed by any native translator:

  1. That professional native translator must sign the translation before a notary, thus confirming that that translation is accurate and complete and the notary verifying that person’s identity.
  2. Therefore, notarized translations don’t make any statement regarding the native translator‘s credentials.
  3. After translating educational documents, such as transcripts and diplomas, sometimes it’s required that a notary certifies that professional translation.

In some cases, however, those documents need to be legalized or apostilled.

And this need appears especially when we’ll use them abroad.

For example, validating a university degree in a foreign country might require a legalized translation of your diploma.

The foreign ministry or legalization office in your country will stamp the professional translation when the specialized native translator signs the translation before a public official, thus legalizing the translated document.

translate legal documents Signewords

Only credentialed translators, who have taken an oath, can complete sworn translations.

Depending on the country’s requirements, these professional native translators must first complete a specific university degree or pass a government-regulated exam before being sworn in.

These native translators can stamp their professional translations, proving their credentials as sworn translators.

For example:

  • patents
  • or certain documents required to incorporate a company,

sometimes need this type of sworn translation.

Make sure to verify the type of legal translation required when hiring a professional translation company.

No matter what a specific situation calls for, a translation agency like SIGNEWORDS can provide the legal translation you need.

What types of documents require legal translation?

Signewords legal documents translation

For the non-professionals in this area, sometimes the word “legal” immediately brings images of lawyers with suits and briefcases dramatically appearing before a judge in court.

And yes, this sort of work environment indeed relies heavily on legal translation.

A lawyer may have a client who is in the process of receiving an inheritance from a recently deceased uncle who had his will written in a foreign language, for example.

And they may need to translate Spanish to Italian to complete the judicial process for the inheritance.

Another lawyer may also be handling a criminal court case in which one of the witnesses needs to testify in a foreign language,

requiring that they translate English to Finnish the transcribed conversation.

Or a law firm might be mediating a legal dispute between two multinational companies

that have had previous agreements drafted in various languages, making it necessary for that documentation that they translate French and translate Danish with a translation company like SIGNEWORDS.

Translate administrative documentation

translate administrative documentation Signewords

But this is only one part of the big picture.

Drama aside, the legal world also implies the need to translate administrative documents that we all need in our routines,

even if we have absolutely no involvement in a court case.

Let’s say you’re an English teacher planning on moving to Germany for work.

Of course, you might need to translate to German several documents, to register them in various government offices administratively:

  • birth certificate
  • marriage certificate
  • personal ID
  • passport, etc.
  • Also, you might need to legalize (apostille) and translate a university degree to have it validated in Germany and be able to find work.
  • Moreover, to find housing, you might have to translate a bank reference letter to prove your current financial standing.
  • Once you decide to buy a house, you might also choose to translate real estate documentation and also translate your home insurance so that you can fully understand the conditions you agree to without having to struggle with legal terminology in a foreign language.

In conclusion:

  • either for professional and specialized activities
  • or personal and private events.

⤷ Legal translation is present in all areas of our lives, especially concerning international connections.

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