Specialised legal translation

What is legal translation?

Legal translationlegal translationconsists in translating, from one language to another, legal documents. These include public documents, i.e., those issued by public entities or bodies, and private ones, namely those drafted to govern a particular legal business entered into between individuals or businesses.

Why is legal translation so complex?

The most common case is that these documents are drafted by legal professionals. Hence, they tend to contain an array of legal concepts which are not often used in normal day-to-day life, due to which translators who are not specialised in this field tend to mistranslate. It is of the essence that these concepts, and not simply the individual words, are translated correctly, as they entail legal effects for the parties and the translator must be capable of reflecting these specific meanings.

Is it sufficient to understand a language when translating legal documents?

More often than not, a legal translation is not only for informative purposes, but it seeks to have a legal effect in another country. At Iddiom we are well aware that in order to achieve this goal, it is essential for the translator to be specialised in this field, in addition to having conducted prior research in comparative law.

Therefore, it is not sufficient to have mastered the foreign language in which the document has been drafted in order to translate it correctly. Nor is it sufficient to have ample experience as a translator. In fact, it is of vital importance to understand the two legal systems (that of the source document and of the target language) so as to ensure the translation is free from any errors that could have legal consequences for the recipients of the translation.

What documents require specialised legal translation?

Any document drafted by a legal expert, including public officials, lawyers, judges and legal advisors, as well as a long list of financial documents that contain many legal concepts will require translation by a professional legal translator.

The following list includes some of these documents:

• Purchase/sale and financial agreements.
• Powers of attorney and deeds.
• Wills and trusts.
• Insurance policies and expert reports.
• Insurance policies and expert reports.
• Documents relating to intellectual or industrial property.
• Foreign regulations and laws.
• Court rulings.
• Arbitration procedures.
• Company deeds and by-laws.

And, in general, any legal or financial documents that entails the creation of rights or obligations for any particular party.

Who do legal translators work for?

As professional legal translators, we work as freelancers (self-employed translators who offer their services) and as employees (employed by companies or entities).

In general, freelance translators work from home for their clients, which in the case of Iddiom nclude companies and multinational corporations, banks, and legal firms. 

How can I find a professional legal translator?

As an agency specialised in legal translations, Iddiom can meet your requirements in terms of legal translations and provide you with professional, tailored solutions at highly competitive prices.