LEGAL TRANSLATION is about law, whereas law is, figuratively, the mortar that holds all aspects of our lives and societies together so effectively that without it, our world would tragically deteriorate into a primeval jungle!
So, again, what is legal translation?
It’s the most specialized field of translation that requires the most professional and specialized translators and the highest level of accuracy and precision.
Still, we have to ask: Is legal translation important, and why?
Yes, it’s one of the most important types of translation. When your business reaches the point where you need to grow by expanding in global markets, your company will need to translate contracts and other legal documents into the languages of the countries where you’re doing business.
Here’s where you’ll find how so strategic the task is that any slight mistake in the translation of a contract or a patent might lead to lawsuits and legal exposure, with your business losing money and time ─ and, more importantly, with your company’s image and reputation perilously at risk!
What Are the Types of Legal Translation?
They are all documents that pertain to the law or have a legal nature. Legal translation services cover a wide diversity of areas such as Marriage & Family Affairs, Property, Landlord and Tenant Relations, Human Resources, Business Formation, Business Services, and others. These documents include, but are not limited to:
| Legal Contracts | Trusts | Litigation documents |
| Witness statements | Immigration documents | Wills |
| Deeds | Depositions | Non-disclosure agreements |
| Consulting agreements | Prenuptial agreements | Contract amendments |
| Bills of Sale | Employment contracts | Postnuptial agreements |
| Promissory notes | Affidavit of Marriage | Loan agreements |
| Non-compete agreements | Corporate bylaws | Commercial lease agreements |
| Release of liability agreement | Terms of Use | Partnership agreements |
| Indemnity agreements | Financial records | Invoices |
| License agreements | Security agreements | Waiver and Release of Liability |
Important Tips for Legal Translation
Based upon our extensive 11-year experience in the field of legal translation, we’ve collected for you a number of important tips in this area. Let’s dive deeper.
1-Abide by Court Rules
You have to deal with the courts in full compliance with the requirements they lay down. For example, if the court insists on accepting translated content only after they’ve been certified by professional entities, you have to comply with this stipulation.
2-No Amateurs Here!
Let’s be frank. Having full command of a language, in terms of reading and speaking like natives, is good, but it doesn’t mean she or he can translate a legal document! A legal translator should be versed in all types of legal terminology ─ a skill that exists in specialized translators only!
So, if you need to get documents such as your employment contract or your passport translated, go only for professional translators or agencies.
3-Say Sorry to Google Translate!
Let’s admit it. Google Translate can’t do it, and if it does, it’s certainly going to wreak havoc on everything in your legal document!
However, this is not Google’s fault. It’s the fact that legal documents are complex by nature and full of very technical terminology. So, forget it when it comes to such documents as your product’s terms of use or your marriage certificate!
4-Even Neural Machine Translation Won’t Work!
Like Google Translate and other Machine Translation software, even Neural Machine Translation tools are not capable of providing accurate legal translations. Only a human translator with extensive, rock-solid, hands-on experience in the field of legal translation is the one you can trust.
5-Legal Advice Matters!
It happens at the best of companies! It would always be great if you seek the advice of lawyers in the target country, who will certainly provide valuable guidance that improves the final quality of your translated content.
How Can LatinoBridge Help?
Since 2010, we’ve been progressively establishing an impressive track record in providing law firms and businesses’ in-house legal departments with first-class legal translation services that they can rely on.
We’ve been since then delivering translation services from or into Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese that help businesses all over the world to do business and thrive, in Latin America. Also, we consistently empower Latin American companies to successfully do business with customers and corporate clients across the globe. But did we stand out?
We cover all legal areas: Employment Laws, Contract Laws, Litigation, Business Documents, Finance, and Banking, as well as all other fields. Our legal translators are versed in translating a broad diversity of legal documents, including business contracts, employment contracts, non-disclosure agreements, Terms & Conditions, corporate codes of conduct, loan agreements, court forms, employee handbooks, witness statements, corporate annual reports, and dozens of other documents.
At LatinoBridge, your data confidentiality is paramount. We understand that your documents should be kept in good hands. So, we regard data privacy as the essence of our translation processes and workflows. All our translators have to sign non-disclosure agreements before they work on any document. Further, we never share your content with any third party.
Whether your translation project is small or voluminous, we always assign a dedicated project manager PM whose job is to ensure that the process is moving forward smoothly and that you’re always in touch with us about the project’s step-by-step progress.
As for our legal translation team, we work with expert legal translators and reviewers who are native speakers of the target language. Further, each of them should have proven experience of at least 4 years in the field of legal translation.
Over the years, we’ve established a reputation for ensuring fast turnaround times for all translation projects.
Contact us today for your free quote.
