Legal translation is often used for a variety of documents such as patents, litigation, financial documents, transcripts and wills. While translation is, in fact, more nuanced than people think, legal translation is far more intricate than translating words from one language to another. It is often said that legal translation is one of the most difficult among the translation services due to the complex nature of legalese which varies for each country. It is, therefore, crucial to choose the right agency such as Expresstranslate who has experience in legal translations and provide the service of a NAATI certified translator for each legal translation project. Follow my 4 key factors below when choosing the right legal document translation service provider.
Proof of Experience
A translator who is fluent in both languages (source and target) of the legal document is simply not enough. It is essential to find a translation agency that has the necessary legal expertise for accuracy and precision. The NAATI certified translator must have expert knowledge of the subject matter, know the legal terminology and jargon in both languages and be able to translate accurately to reflect the meaning and intention of the original document. The translator needs to also have experience of the legal translation process, as translating documents require skills not just fluency in the target language but the translator needs to be able to interpret the meaning and re-create the content to reflect this as a word to word translations often are inaccurate.
Familiarity with Foreign Legal System and being culturally correct
The legal translator must have a full understanding of the laws of both the source and target languages for accuracy and precision in the translations. They should know the legal terms in both languages and be able to translate in the target language that depicts accurately the meaning and intent of the original texts. There is no room for mistakes and error.
On top of delivering easy-to-read, grammatically correct and organised content, a native speaking certified translator will also ensure that the translated document also picks up on cultural references. Legal documents must correspond to their own cultures and legal systems and often changes are required so that the documents adapt with the intended legal systems.
Certification Vs no certification
Certified translations are almost always necessary for legal translations. For example, for documents used in trials or hearings in another language would need to be translated and certification is required. In Australia, such certification is that of NAATI. Another example is for all immigration and official application where certified translation from a NAATI Certified translator is compulsory or else the application will be rejected.
Proofread
For quality translation, it is crucial to find out about the agency’s work processes. For example, whether the translators are certified, the procedures for quality control and the post-translation process such as editing and proofreading.
In conclusion, there are many instances of how incorrect translations lead to some serious legal consequences. It is therefore essential to choose a translation agency experienced in legal translations, with qualified, NAATI certified translators. Their translators should have a legal academic background and an in-depth knowledge of both languages legal system. The last word of advice is that truly there are significant advantages from engaging a professional and certified translator and it is not worth the incidental savings of relying on a non-certified translator.
