Some people still wonder what legal translation is all about – much like legalese, it’s all Greek to them! Want to know more? Keep reading today’s entry to discover the different types of legal translation and learn what kind of language is used in such projects.
What is legal translation?
Legal document translation is a field of translation used in legal settings and for legal purposes. It comes in handy when regulating legal relationships, signing international contracts, or translating documents from the source language to the target language.
Professional legal translation services are required whenever you have to translate official documents like birth and marriage certificates, notarial deeds, death certificates, contracts, financial statements or other important documents with sensitive data.
Main types of legal translation
It’s possible to distinguish six different types of legal translation and documents that are typically translated:
- Litigation – frequently, clients of translation agencies need access to case results and documents in another language that are used for discovery, such as interviews, depositions, written communications, internal emails, and so forth. A professionally prepared translation helps to understand the situation better.
- Legislation – legal systems vary from country to country. Prepared laws and legislations that come into force require accurate legal translation and localization services.
- Regulation – it’s defined as rules set by governments or other authorities in order to control how something is done or how people behave. Legal regulation translation comes in handy if you plan to go global. With quality translation services, you’ll be able to regulate your company’s operation and ensure that it’s compliant with the binding rules in the target country.
- Patents– these are official documents that give you the right to be the only entity allowed to sell or manufacture a given product for a specific period of time. To make your patents recognized internationally, you need to have them translated by professional legal agencies.
- Corporate – this type of legal translation comes in handy when signing international contracts or entering into a cooperation with foreign companies or employees. Quality legal translation keeps everyone on the same page and prevents misunderstandings.
- Financial – financial statements, balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements are only some of the financial documents that require legal translation.
Inaccurate legal translation can have a catastrophic impact on the outcome of any case. Choosing poor quality services may have financial, reputational or even criminal repercussions. By selecting a professional translation agency, law firms can avoid potential disagreements and penalties. It’s worth investing in specialist services to ensure that your documentation is organized and translated properly.
What type of language is used in legal translation?
Legal translation is a complex and demanding translation type which requires a professional approach and impressive experience. Legal documents are known for being extremely difficult to comprehend. Their translation is largely based on official, specialist legalese and jargon that can’t be learned overnight. Depending on the type of legal documents, the language can be technical and include complex vocabulary that requires the knowledge of Latin and French legal terminology.
Different types of legal translation – the takeaway
When choosing a legal translation company to cooperate with, make sure that selected experts are skilled and experienced specialists able to comprehend the source and target languages, their legal systems, cultures and regulations.
Wondering what are the best methods of translation? Check out our previous article!