Legal Translation
Legal translation is an area where experience and skill come very much to the fore.
The breadth of work that a legal translator will help with is remarkable, and each project requires the same level of expertise and attention to detail.
For companies that have received legal documentation in another language the use of a legal translation ( sometimes called a convenience translation) is paramount as it enables executives to properly understand what they are being presented with.
Typically, these will be merger and acquisition documentation, terms and conditions, share purchase agreements, supply agreements or purchasing contracts, all of which will have their own terminology and structure.
Although translating from one language to another is a difficult job on its own, legal translation takes on a greater dimension when legal terminology and concepts are used as there may not be directly comparable aspects in the target language.
Convenience Vs Authentic
Within the legal translation world, there are two types of work that perform very different functions.
A convenience translation is the conversion from one language to another and is used when a document needs to retain the spirit and meaning of the original but isn’t required to be legally operable.
An authentic translation is where the document is designed to be legally operable in the country for which it is being translated and many courts will only accept documents using the authentic method.
Both types of translation require not only excellent linguistic skills but also a good understanding of the legal systems in two countries and the interoperability of technical terms.
The legal translator will take a source text and translate into the target language whilst still maintaining the legal integrity of the piece.
Don’t chance it – look for quality
Legal translation, by its very nature, is more expensive than a general translation, after all the people doing the work have built up years of experience in the sector but it’s worth paying a little extra for great quality output.
Translation is one area where you don’t want to skimp on costs because the addition or subtraction of one word can change the meaning of an entire document.
We are fully compliant with all the requirements of BS EN ISO 17100:2015 meaning that we put quality at the heart of our process, from the first contact with your project manager to delivery of the finished article.
