By Sarah-Claire Jordan
Legal translators are probably the hardest working translators in the industry. Not only do they have to have an impeccable knowledge of both target and source languages, but they have to know the ins and outs of at least two legal systems, including the legal language used in each. If you have the privilege of working with a seasoned and qualified legal translator, you will immediately realize just how valuable their work is.
There may be some clarification needed as to what constitutes a “legal document”. There are various types of documents that would fit this category, but here are just a few, to give you a better idea of what legal translators work with every day:
1. Contracts
With companies in basically every industry globalizing, or getting ready to globalize, we will be seeing more and more international business partnerships. This means contracts will be drawn up between companies that may not speak the same language. As a contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties and includes all of the details of this agreement, it is extremely important that all parties involved understand exactly what it is they are agreeing to. An accurate translation of the contract must be provided to ensure that there are no misunderstandings.
2. Legislation/Regulation
If a company decides to branch out and open up shop in another country, they had better know exactly what to expect in terms of the legislation and regulations there. If the country happens to use a different language, then it is essential that all of these regulations and pieces of legislation be translated in order to be understood by everyone in the company. The worst situations tend to arise from cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, which can be avoided completely with proper translations of this type of legal document.
3. Immigration
Sometimes, a client needs help going through the immigration process in a country where they do not know the language. In this kind of situation, the job of the legal translator is to make sure they accurately render any legal information the immigrant would need to know in order to understand their rights and what the process will include. An inaccurate translation would result in many complications and a lot of frustration, so it is best to choose to work with a very experienced legal translator for immigration documents.
4. Litigation
Sometimes, court cases don’t fit neatly within the country borders we have on the map, and spill over into other nations. When this happens, the already complicated litigation process becomes even more so with the addition of a new language and legal system. A translator who specializes in legal translation is there to solve the issues of different languages and legal systems so that the case can be resolved and justice doled out accordingly.
Alpha Omega Translations is a company with many years of experience working with legal translation. The team includes translators with different specializations, so you always work with the best for your particular project.